


Immortals

by TheEmcee



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Slash, Mates, Romance, Slash, Soul Bond, Vampire Family, Vampire Sex, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 10:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2648873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEmcee/pseuds/TheEmcee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vampire AU. A legend has been passed down through vampire society for thousands of years that tells of how the first naturally born vampire will become the Vampire King. Tadashi Hamada had only been a vampire for a century when Hiro Hamada was born, and now his one and only responsibility is his king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters, the fandom, or even the title. I got it from the Fall Out Boy song and you all know which one.
> 
> A/N: Okay, so, here’s the deal. I have loved vampires since I was, like, six or something and I watched Interview With a Vampire (not all of it; my mom shielded my eyes over the nudey parts). And although I’ve kind out fallen out of love with them (*cough*Twilight*cough*), I still find them pretty bad ass. So, I’m mixing Big Hero 6, which I just saw for the fifth time because it’s consumed my life, with the vampire genre. It’s an AU obviously and I hope you all like what I come up with. If you find any boo boos or mistakes, please let me know! I will fix them! And be sure to leave a comment in the towel section if you like it. R&R. Enjoy!

~…~  
Immortals  
~…~

 

It was often said among the vampire society that vampires were born from the ice. Tales tell of how a goddess from the heavens loved the magnificent beauty of ice so much that she created special beings from it to live alongside humans, forever embodying the beauty of ice in walking flesh. Their skin, to a normal human’s touch, felt as cold as the very ice it was said they came from and their hearts were said to be frozen stones. Even a vampire’s tears turned to ice once they came into contact with the air. Although no vampire still alive recalls how they actually came into being, the tale of the goddess and her admiration for the beauty of ice was often considered to be their creation story.

However, as much as the goddess loved ice and the beings she fashioned from them, she did not grant them the one ability that truly separated vampires from humans: the ability to give birth. While a vampire can Turn a human by biting them and injecting a small portion of their own blood into the human’s bloodstream, it was impossible for a vampire pair to conceive and give birth to a child. Many vampire pairs had tried; they had all failed.

And yet, there was hope.

Another legend accompanied that of the goddess. It spoke of how a male child will be born into the vampire world and that he will be known as the Vampire King. Through him and only through him, will vampires be able to conceive and have children of their own. How this legend came into being, no one knew. All that they did know was that it gave them hope, and vampire pairs began to try desperately to bring their one hope, the salvation of their race, to life.   
Many years passed and still, the Vampire King had not arrived.

The bright hope that all vampires had been clinging to began to fade, flickering out of existence like a light in the wind. Eventually, the vampires of the world stopped trying and started to believe that the Vampire King of legend was nothing more than that: a legend. Soon, all vampires fell into a somber state, a never ending despair, for without their one true hope, what motivation could be found to create more of their kind, especially when they were already being hunted down so viciously by the humans they lived alongside?

Centuries passed and the King all vampires once spoke of became nothing more than a fairy tale. And fairy tales don’t really exist, do they?

 

~…~

 

Tadashi had only been a vampire for one century. He was still considered a baby, still considered to be young and not an adult even though he had been turned when he was twenty-one, but he didn’t let that bothered him. Although, at first, he had missed his human life terribly, he had a new vampire family that he belonged to. His mother and father, the ones who had given him his new life, were kind people, honest, always trying to help others in need be they human or vampire. And he had an aunt, who was a bit eccentric but loving and kind, just like his parents. They may not have been his human family, but after a few decades, he began to see them as such and so, that’s what he called them. His family.

By now, everyone in his human life had passed on, and while he mourned for them, he was a vampire now and vampires always looked at things with a different angle than humans did. Life, although not unlimited, was far longer for his kind than it was for humans. Vampires died just like humans did, but slowly, progressively, aging like a human did little by little over the hundreds and thousands of years they lived. He still ate food-food, something half of the human society still doubted even though humans and vampires had had a truce between them for over a thousand years. But that didn’t mean that vampires didn’t drink blood. They did, but it couldn’t be from just anyone and it couldn’t be human.

Although vampires could Turn a human by injecting their blood into a human’s bloodstream, ingesting human blood could poison a vampire, maybe even kill him if enough was consumed. It was one thing to ingest a little by accident – a vampire might get ill, but that was it – but it was another to drink-drink human blood and vampires were not stupid. The only blood a vampire could drink for nutrition was that of his mate. 

A vampire’s mate wasn’t just anyone though. First, and obviously, the mate had to be vampire and not human. And second, it couldn’t be just any vampire at random; their mates were preordained, determined by their souls before they were born into this world as humans. Finding a mate wasn’t that difficult, at least, that was what Tadashi had been told by his mother and father. Vampires impress when they find their mates; that is, they imprint (although vampires no longer use that term because of the publicity that now surrounds it thanks to vampire literature and film. Tadashi understood; it wouldn’t look good for vampires if humans thought they stole the term from 'Twilight' or the 'House of Night' series). And when that happens, when the two vampires who are destined to be together finally find each other, they drink from another. 

Tadashi had seen it happen a few times, when one vampire impresses upon another and it truly is a beautiful thing to bear witness to. Seeing someone find the person their body, heart, and soul are meant to be with, the someone they’re fashioned to love for all of time and creation, is a beautiful thing. Part of him wondered if he’d be so lucky to have that happen to him. So far, it hadn’t. His parents and aunt had told him not to worry; that he was still young and that there were plenty of vampires out there for him. But that didn’t stop Tadashi from feeling a bit lonely. He may have had his family and his friends, but it would be wonderful to have someone who was his missing half, his missing link, the other piece of his puzzle, as well.

Perhaps that was why he felt this loneliness begin to creep ever so slowly into his soul. He may not have been alone, but when he was surrounded with his family and friends, he always felt lonely. There was always something missing, something that wasn’t there. And after a century of being a vampire, over a century of being alive if one counted his twenty-one years as a human, the loneliness he felt could really get to him at times.

And then, one morning, something changed.

Tadashi woke up crying, crying actual tears. It had been one of the things that had made him stand out among his kind: his ability to shed real tears and not ice tears like all vampires did. No one knew why he was able to do it, but he could, he did. That wasn’t important though; the fact that he woke up crying was.

It was important because he didn’t feel sad or lonely or anything of the sort. As a matter of fact, Tadashi felt elated, happy, joyous, and he threw the covers off of him and rolled out of his body, his heart pounding, excitement and pure bliss coursing through his veins. Practically throwing open his bedroom door, Tadashi rushed out into the hallway and went down the stairs, taking two at a time. He needed to see his parents; he needed to know why he felt this way when there seemed to be no cause for it whatsoever.

When he stepped into the living room, he stopped, though. Sitting on the couch was his mother, who was smiling brightly, look positively radiant and beautiful even through the tears of ice that fell down her cheeks and broke on the wooden floor. His father was standing beside her, smiling with so much happiness, pride, and love that it only elevated Tadashi’s own excitement and happiness. They looked up when they heard him enter the room and his mother opened her arms to him, gesturing for him to come closer as she spoke.

“Tadashi! Oh, Tadashi! We have so wonderful, miraculous news,” she exclaimed, her brown eyes shining. 

“What is it? What’s going on?” Tadashi asked, adrenaline shooting throughout his entire body.

“It’s a happened. It’s really, truly happened,” she said. Tadashi sat down on the edge of the recliner across from the couch and his knees were practically bouncing.

“What’s happened?” he asked.

“Son, I’m pregnant!” his mother practically shouted, her face expressing pure joy and love. Tadashi swore that his heart stopped beating for a moment.

Pregnant? His mother was pregnant? But how could that be? Vampires couldn’t get pregnant. So how…?

“How?” Tadashi asked, sounding just as stunned and awed as he looked. 

“We don’t know, but we believe it’s him,” his father answered, gazing down at his wife with love and affection.

“Him?” Tadashi said, looking slightly confused.

“The Vampire King,” his father replied.

The Vampire King? Tadashi had read about the legend telling of how the first naturally born vampire would become the King of Vampires, but he had thought that it was a myth, a, well, legend. However, it was real, it was real and it was happening and he –

Tadashi was puzzled. If his mother was pregnant with the Vampire King, then why did he wake up crying? Why did he feel so happy and pumped up? Why did he feel as though he was no longer alone? Why did he suddenly feel whole, like his missing link, his puzzle piece, had finally been found? Was because of him, the Vampire King? Was the Vampire King his mate?

A soft, warm smile spread across Tadashi’s face and he looked up at his parents, who were looking happier and brighter than he had ever seen them. Finally, after being alone for so long, he would have his mate. The fact that it was his brother, for all intents and purposes, - as well as the Vampire King! – mattered little to him at that moment. What did matter was that Tadashi had never before been so happy and relieved, he had never felt so complete and whole, and he greatly looked forward to their King being born.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, but I’m currently in the process of outlining a nekoverse story and a soul mate one along with editing My Heart’s Desire because I’m not very satisfied with it (and I know that if I’m not satisfied with it, neither are you), so please bear with me! Also, and this is a more heads up kind of thing I guess than anything else, my chapter lengths vary so if this one seems short, I’m sorry. But, here is the second chapter! Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section. R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

Months had passed and things had gotten crazy. When word had spread throughout the vampire community that Tadashi’s mother was pregnant, legitimately pregnant, their house became flooded with wave after wave of visitors seeking to congratulate the pair. Many of the vampires that had passed through often knelt before Tadashi’s mother, ice tears falling from their eyes as they could not contain their joy and hope at having the King finally arrive. 

But there were also complications as well. Tadashi would often worry about his mother when she became winded too easily and had to take long rests. He knew that with humans, rest and relaxation were ideal to ensure a healthy baby and delivery, but sometimes, his mother would lie down for a nap and would end up sleeping for days on end. It worried him and he knew that his father was worried too. 

It wasn’t just the long sleeps that he noticed. His mother also needed more blood than what she used to and although Tadashi’s father was willing to offer it without complaint and without even needing to be asked, he was beginning to look extremely pale, almost translucent or sometimes just outright transparent. And he wasn’t as strong as he used to be; there were many times over the past months that Tadashi had had to assist his father in carrying even a case of water into the kitchen. 

Mother was worse though. The further along her pregnancy came, the weaker she got it seemed. There were times when she couldn’t even lift her head. Tadashi knew that this pregnancy, the first ever vampire pregnancy, would be strange, different, and difficult than a human pregnancy, but he had had no idea that it would be like this. And as there had never been a vampire pregnancy, what advice could his mother follow that would suit such special circumstances? Yes, there was the usual advice human doctors gave human women, but that could hardly be applied in this situation, all things considered. None of their visitors seemed to be able to give him much advice on it either.

However, as difficult as the pregnancy was becoming, they were all happy that their King was finally with them and that he’d be here soon. Tadashi spent many hours thinking about what he’d be like, what he’d look like, what his personality would be. Would he be quiet and shy or outgoing and full of energy? Would he be interested in robotics and technology or would he prefer chemicals or lasers? Just thinking about it brought so many endless possibilities to Tadashi’s mind and there were many a night were he’d fall asleep dreaming of his King, of holding him in his arms, of talking to him as he would no other.

While it would take a few more months for their King, his King, Tadashi’s mate, to be born, it would be well worth the wait.

~…~

“Hiro,” Tadashi’s mother said one day while he was sitting with her in his parents’ bedroom. His father was at the weekly vampire community meeting and Tadashi always sat with her to keep his mother company since she was unable to go out.

“What?” Tadashi asked as he looked up from his book.

“I think that’s what we’ll call him,” his mother replied with a kind, warm, and loving smile. “Hiro.”

“It’s a great name,” Tadashi said, giving her a smile.

“It has many meanings, one of which is prosperous,” his mother said and then laughed. “I thought that it would fit since he is the Vampire King.” Tadashi laughed with her.

“I think you’re right,” he said. “It’ll suit him perfectly.”

~…~

Tadashi hadn’t been feeling well all day, which was weird since vampires didn’t get sick, ever. But from the time he woke up, his stomach had been toiling and churning and gurgling and he felt too hot even though the temperature of the house hadn’t changed all that much since the day prior – maybe one or two degrees at most. Not only that, but he felt restless and couldn’t sit still for very long. If he picked up a book to read, he would put it back a minute later to grab another one, which would return to the shelf while he searched for a replacement for that one. Whenever he’d try to write ideas down for his project, his mind would wander off and the page would remain blank and empty. If he even tried to pick a movie or TV show to watch, he’d be unable to make a decision and stick to it, much like the books he had tried to read. And when he could think of nothing else to occupy his time, he began to pace in his room. 

With one hand holding his chin and his other holding his other arm’s elbow, Tadashi walked back and forth, back and forth. What was up with him today? Why was he acting like this? He never behaved like this, so what was it about today that was making him so restless, so on edge? Nothing came to mind, not that he had the capability to think at that point. His mind was a jumbled mess and he couldn’t get it together because he didn’t know what was causing it. And he didn’t know what was causing it because he couldn’t think!

Then, he just stopped. His body just…stopped moving, right at the edge of his bed. Tadashi blinked a few times and a sudden wave of calm washed over him. All of the jumbled thoughts in his mind cleared and evaporated; his body no longer felt the need to move constantly; and he no longer wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. For the first time that day, he felt at complete and utter peace.

And the last thing he remembered was a sudden on-coming blackness before he passed out cold on his bed.

~…~

Tadashi didn’t know where he was. There was nothing around him. Literally, there was nothing around him; not his bed, not his desk, not his book case, nothing. All that surrounded him was white. He didn’t even know if there were walls and a ceiling wherever he was – but he knew there was a floor since he was currently sitting on it. A small part of his brain told him that this wasn’t normal and that maybe it would be a good idea for him to panic right about now, but he didn’t. How could he when he had never felt so peaceful, so relaxed, and so happy before in his entire life. Turning his head, Tadashi looked to see if anything around him had changed.

Nope. Nothing. Just endless whiteness. But when he turned to face forward, he was surprised to see a boy sitting in front of him and he gasped.

The boy was giving him a warm and soft smile as he stared at Tadashi. He appeared to be about thirteen, perhaps even fourteen, and he was wearing a red shirt with some kind of robot on it along with a blue jacket, cargo shorts, and sneakers. His hair was black and a wild mess, but it made him look adorable and cuddly and loveable, especially with that soft, round face and those large, brown eyes that twinkled with joy and enthusiasm, love and adoration. Tadashi couldn’t help but blush at seeing such an expression in those eyes.

“It’s about time you got here, you knucklehead. I was just about to give up hope that you’d come,” the boy told him, laughing nervously at the end, a slight blush dusting his pale face as he scratched the back of his head.

“You’ve…you’ve been waiting for…me?” Tadashi asked. He had no idea what was going on and under normal circumstances, he’d probably be a little panicked by now, no matter how cute and adorable the company was. But he wasn’t.

“Yeah. A while now. And I’m so happy that I finally get to meet you,” was the reply he got.

“How can you have been waiting for a while when you’re just a kid?” Tadashi said. “I’m a vampire. I’ve been a live for over a hundred years. How old are you anyway?”

“Fourteen. At least, that’s how I look to you now, but I won’t soon,” the boy said and he laughed nervously again. 

“I don’t…understand,” Tadashi mumbled, but his good feelings didn’t disappear. In fact, they seemed to intensify, almost as though they were reacting off of the boy’s feelings and drawing strength and energy from him.

“I know and I’m sorry that I can’t explain things to you right now. Just know that I’m really, really happy to finally be here with you,” the boy said and then gave Tadashi such a radiant and beautiful smile that all of his worries and concerns melted away. “I love you, Tadashi. And I’ll see you soon!”

Just then, the brightness in the room intensified and began to blur everything Tadashi saw. Blinking, he looked up and raised a hand to shield his eyes before he turned back to the boy, whose visage was fading fast in the brightness of the light. Words tumbled from his mouth even though he hadn’t had a thought in his mind. He didn’t hear what he said and he wasn’t sure what was making him say them. All he knew was that he said them and that he would be waking up in a matter of seconds.

“I love you too, Hiro.”

Everything around him disappeared in the brightness and Tadashi could do nothing except allow it to swallow him up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for all of the kind words and support! I’m glad that you’re all liking the story thus far. Here’s the next chapter. Feel free to leave a comment in the towel section. R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

When Tadashi opened his eyes, everything was blurry. Colors mixed and blended and swirled with one another creating a strange and surreal yet beautiful kaleidoscope effect. Then, his vision began to clear and Aunt Cass’ face was staring right at him, so close that it was all he saw.

“Ah!” he screamed and felt himself jolt back just as his aunt let out a scream of her own before she took a few steps back away from him.

“Oh, Tadashi! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” she quickly apologized, looking worried and distraught, her hands clenching each other as they were pressed against her lips. “But you started moaning and I was hoping that you were finally waking up.”

“N-no, it’s fine,” Tadashi rasped, his voice sounding rough and scratchy and his throat feeling even worse than how he sounded. It was only then that he realized that he had been placed on his bed. He had probably been lying down but he obviously bolted into a sitting position when he saw Aunt Cass’ face so close to his own. 

“How long have I been out?” Tadashi asked her. 

After that weird…dream? Vision? He wasn’t even sure what it was, but all he did know was that he had been feeling pretty good, amazing as a matter of fact, and that it was all good feelings, very good feelings. Tadashi tried to remember everything that had happened, but he couldn’t. All he could really remember from that dream-vision was that there had been a boy and that Tadashi felt very happy and incredible upon seeing him, almost as though he had been waiting all of his life for him.

“Three days,” Aunt Cass answered and Tadashi snapped his head up at her, his brown eyes wide. Three days?! He had been out for three days?!

“Three days? Seriously?” he repeated, not entirely able to believe it.

“Yes, three days. Your mother and father have been worried sick about you, especially since we had no idea you had fainted. And poor Hiro had just been crying and crying nonstop since he was born,” Aunt Cass told him. “On top of trying to get him calmed down enough to just take a nap, your parents have been extremely worried about you. We weren’t sure if you were going to wake up…”

Tadashi took a moment to process what his aunt had told him. His mind was still a bit foggy and scattered and he found it hard to think or concentrate. He looked back up at his aunt, his mind finally focusing on one thing, the only thing that mattered to Tadashi right now.

“Hiro? Hiro’s been crying?” Tadashi asked. Aunt Cass nodded vigorously.

“Yes, for the past three days. Since he’s been born,” she told him and her face contorted in concern and deep worry. “He hasn’t stopped since he was born. The poor thing won’t eat much or sleep much either. None of us knows what’s wrong or what to do…”

Tadashi was up and stumbling off of his bed and out of his room before Aunt Cass even finished her sentence. He stumbled out into the hallway, feeling unbalanced and dizzy, but determined.

“Tadashi, wait! You shouldn’t be up and moving around so suddenly. Take it easy and go slow,” Aunt Cass scolded him as she followed him down the hall. Tadashi didn’t know where the nursery was, but his body made its way to wherever Hiro was, as though it knew instinctively where the newborn was.

It was only then that Tadashi realized that a baby was screaming, wailing loudly at the top of its lungs. How had he not heard that? Was he more out of it than he had realized? The screaming was loud so there was no way or reason why he shouldn’t have heard it to begin with…

Whatever the reason was for him not hearing it, it didn’t matter now. Tadashi turned to the first door on the left and walked inside. His mother was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Hiro while his father was standing behind them, holding a teddy bear and blanket in his hands. They looked up when he entered and they spoke to him, but Tadashi didn’t hear a word they said. All of his attention was focused on Hiro.

The little baby was so tiny and pale, bundled in a purple baby suit, that he looked more fragile than glass. There was a small mess of black hair on his head and his hands were balled into tiny fists that were held up close to his face. His eyes were squinted shut, his nose was crinkled, and his mouth was open, producing the loudest wail that Tadashi had ever heard. And yet, he was absolutely breathtaking to Tadashi. As he gazed at the newborn babe, he could feel his heart melt and everything inside of him warm up, almost as though all of the world’s love had suddenly been poured into his entire being. He knew what was happening, he knew what this was and suddenly, he could remember quite vividly the dream-vision he had had. Now, it all made perfect sense.

And just like that, Hiro, his brother, the Vampire King, stopped screaming at the top of his lungs. The most peaceful and joy filled looked came across his tiny face as he opened his eyes to reveal brown eyes, brown eyes that focused completely on Tadashi, just Tadashi and no one and nothing else. They stared at each other and then, Hiro smiled at him. It completely stunned Tadashi. He wasn’t aware that newborn babies could smile; he didn’t think they had the motor skills to do so and yet, there was Hiro, smiling at him.

“Oh, my,” his mother said softly and she smiled lovingly down at Hiro as she started rocking him once more. Tadashi stepped into the room and crossed the space between him and Hiro. He knelt down in front of him and just watched as their mother rocked the babe back and forth gently.

“This is the first time he’s stopped crying since he was born,” their mother told Tadashi before she leaned down and kissed the top of Hiro’s head. Tadashi could just imagine how soft his hair was. It probably felt like silk.

“Tadashi, I’ve never seen you look so…” their father began and he paused, thinking of the word or phrase to say.

“Happy and peaceful,” their mother finished for him. Smiling down at her, their father nodded and looked down at Tadashi.

“That’s exactly right. I’ve never seen you look so happy and peaceful,” he said.

“I…I feel…wonderful,” Tadashi said, practically whispering. “It’s almost as though all of the bad things that exist in the world have vanished. It’s like they were never even really here to begin with, kind of like they were…made up…something out of a dream.” Hiro gurgled but didn’t lose his smile as he stared Tadashi. Tadashi smiled back at him with so much warmth and tenderness and love that it almost made him cry. He had never felt this way before! It was fantastic! Beyond fantastic, even! It was…it was…indescribable. 

“Well then, it seems as though you’ve found your mate,” his father said. Tadashi didn’t even look up at him; his eyes were focused solely on Hiro and nothing else.

“I have. He told me so himself,” Tadashi mumbled, recalling the fourteen year old version of Hiro, who had wild and messy hair and a gap in his two front teeth and that adorable and beautiful smile. Now his words made perfect sense.

“Hiro told you?” their mother asked him, slight concern clouding her voice. Tadashi nodded.

“Yeah. When I was out, I…I dreamt of him. He paid me a visit, Hiro did,” Tadashi explained calmly, as though it was perfectly normal for people to have dreams about newborn babies who looked, acted, and sounded like teenagers instead of the babies they actually were. “He told me that we’d meet soon and that he was happy to finally be with me.”

He didn’t see the look his parents exchanged.

“There haven’t been many mated pairs who have had dreams of their mates before they met them,” their father said softly, but not unkindly  
.  
“This is a very good thing, though. It just goes to show how strong their bond is and will become,” Aunt Cass injected. She gestured to Hiro. “I mean, just look at Hiro. He stopped crying as soon as he saw Tadashi. That enough is all the proof I need. And who are we to judge?”

“You’re right. We should be happy and proud that Tadashi had found his mate and that Hiro will have a reliable and loyal mate to count him,” their mother said with a soft smile. “As the King, Hiro will need all of the love and protection he can get.”

“I will protect him. I should. He’s my mate after all,” Tadashi said softly as he watched Hiro yawn and blink his eyes tiredly at him. 

“We will discuss it later on, son,” their father said and Tadashi could only nod again.

He didn’t care what his life would entail from here on out. Whatever challenged that may lie ahead of him and Hiro, Tadashi was going to meet head on and conquer them all, no matter what it took or how long. Hiro wasn’t just the Vampire King, he was also Tadashi’s mate and that meant and mattered more to him than his status did and ever would.

Tadashi smiled lovingly at Hiro as he closed his eyes and fell asleep as he was rocked by their mother. His mind was still and calm for the first time in days and everything in the world looked new and different. And he was, at long last, complete.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m sorry for the wait on this chapter, folks. Holidays are amazing, but they do make things crazy. I hope you all understand – I get the feeling that you do. Also, I have been working on a long-shot and I will be posting a littler excerpt at the very end of this chapter, so please let me all know what you think of that! Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

It was incredible how much time could pass in the blink of an eye. 

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. It was a constant, never-ending flow, a forward march of time, an endless circle that kept on going round and round. 

When he was a human child, days would seem to go on forever for Tadashi. He could remember his early years in school, how the school day seemed to last forever and ever. And then, when he hit high school, they began to move faster, but not by much. They still could seem to last forever. But now, though, now that he was a vampire, days were nothing.

Days were blinks, days were seconds, days like flashes of lightning, brief and fast, here one minute and gone the next. There never seemed to be enough hours in a day for him anymore, not now that Hiro had been born. It had been three years since Hiro had come to him, appeared before him in some kind of odd and strange dream-hallucination before being born as the first ever vampire baby, the Vampire King.

Every day since then, Tadashi’s days had been, for the most part, wonderful. He spent almost all of his waking hours with Hiro – and a lot of hours sleeping as well, for Hiro often refused to be taken away from him. Tadashi would make funny faces at Hiro, read to him all sorts of books from the traditional fairytales to books about advanced physics and robotics, he would tickle him, cuddle him, blow raspberries on his belly, watch movies with him, feed him, burp him, bathe him and take baths with him, change his diapers, go out for walks…anything and everything that could be thought of that a baby could or would do, Hiro did with Tadashi. Although, there were times when their parents would often want to hold their child, coddle him, snuggle him, and the like. When they took him from Tadashi though, Hiro would wail and scream and bawl until he was back in Tadashi’s arms and then he would smile so brightly and his tears would dry up and he would be so happy that it was obvious to everyone in their household that Hiro was far more aware of what he was doing than any baby should have been.

Of course, it wasn’t often just Tadashi, Hiro, their mother and father, and Aunt Cass. Visitors often came, wishing to see the Vampire King in the flesh, wanting to touch his tiny hand, hoping to garner favor of some sort. Tadashi didn’t like the constant flow of strangers coming to seek Hiro out as though he were some sort of…object for them to behold. And he definitely didn’t like them touching him. He knew, he could feel it, that Hiro didn’t like it, either, and that made him dislike it even more. 

But this was their life now. And for three years, that was how it was. 

 

~…~

 

At three years old, Hiro was already talking and having conversations as though he were an adult. He could read all sorts of books and for all ages, he could write in both English and Japanese, and he loved to tinker with stuff. Their parents had bought him the kiddie version of Legos, but when it became obvious that Hiro’s brain was more advance than that, they bought him actual Legos and Lego kits, which, of course, Tadashi helped him assemble happily. Or watched him. Tadashi absolutely loved watching Hiro build those things; the look of concentration of his chubby, cute face was one that he had captured on film many times.

Their parents were so very proud of Hiro. Both their mother and father believed he was a genius. Tadashi knew for certain that he was. Even as a newborn, Hiro had this awareness about him that very few babies had. If he was told something, his eyes showed that he understood it no matter what words were used. He had a gift, Tadashi knew, and as the Vampire King, he could use that gift and do incredible and wondrous things with it. 

For now, though, he was just a toddler who was snuggling against Tadashi’s chest fast asleep as the credits for ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ played (Hiro loved that movie; it must be the gargoyles or something, Tadashi didn’t know for sure). His fingers were threading through Hiro’s soft, duck-fluff hair when their mother entered the living room.

“You boys should be in bed, you know,” she said, trying to sound stern even though her smile made that impossible. 

Tadashi gave her an apologetic smile. Hiro had a bed time – eight o’clock sharp – and he hated it. He wanted to stay up with Tadashi and do things. But he needed his sleep, so, Tadashi often went to bed with him. He didn’t mind. Cuddling his little Hiro was one of his favorite pass times nowadays. 

“Sorry. I guess I lost track of time,” Tadashi replied as he moved Hiro into his arms and stood up, holding his precious cargo close to his chest, rubbing his cheek affectionately against his black hair.  
“It’s okay. Just get to bed,” their mother told him before leaving, going upstairs herself. 

After turning off the TV, Tadashi made his way to the room he shared with Hiro, since Hiro refused to sleep anywhere without Tadashi. Hiro had his own bed too, but he always slept in Tadashi’s. Once they were in their room, Tadashi laid Hiro on their bed – he couldn’t really call it his anymore – and quickly changed into his pajama bottoms and an old, comfy tee. Gathering Hiro up in one arm – yes, he was that small and tiny still – Tadashi pulled back the covers and settled the both of them underneath them.

Turning off the light, Tadashi pulled Hiro close to his chest and cuddled him, burying his nose in his sweet smelling hair, breathing it in as he fell asleep.

“Dashi! Dashi!”

The next thing Tadashi knew, Hiro was crying out his nickname, shaking his face with his tiny hands. Snapping wide awake, Tadashi quickly took in his surroundings. Although his room seemed to be fine, there was the strong scent of smoke and fire and the roar of flames wafting from outside of their room.

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Tadashi quickly rolled out of bed and pulled Hiro to his chest instinctively, forcing him to lower to his head against his chest with his chin. Should he go through the door? Tadashi could probably make it outside fast enough, but he wouldn’t dare risk Hiro’s safety for a chance. The window? That seemed like the best option. Their house was small and a jump from two stories wouldn’t kill Tadashi; he was a vampire, such a fall was child’s play to him anyway. 

And then he remembered…

“Mom! Dad!” he shouted for them and heard nothing but a deafening roar in return. Frowning deeply, he called out for Cass. “Aunt Cass!”

The sound of broken glass – it was hard to tell which room it came from, but Tadashi was certain it came from their aunt’s – told Tadashi that someone, at least, had made it out and that his guess of escaping through the window was the best one.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tadashi ran to the bed room window and hurled himself through it. Hiro’s screams resounded in his ears, but all he could do and turn in the air as they headed for the ground. His back made impact with the ground and he was stunned for a moment. He could feel Hiro screaming against him, squirming vigorously as tears soaked his shirt. Then, he was being pulled up and when he blinked, there was Aunt Cass. There were a few smudges on her face, but she looked unharmed.

“What’s going-“ Tadashi didn’t get the chance to say anything more than that.

The house he had called his home ever since he had become a vampire, the house Hiro had been born in, the house his family had all lived in, erupted into flames and a loud explosive sound cut off the remainder of his hearing. Glass shards of all different sizes rained down upon them. Sirens from fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars could be heard fast approaching. 

Looking around, Tadashi saw their neighbors and passersby gawk in shock and horror as his house burned and fell apart slowly. His aunt had tears running down her face and her hands covered her mouth. He didn’t see his parents. Looking down, Tadashi saw Hiro twisting and turning, his big, wide brown eyes red and puffy and full of tears as he cried and wailed and snotted all over himself and Tadashi’s shirt. Bending down, he pressed a soft kiss to his hair. And then, Tadashi could do nothing but stand there and watch.

Even as the firefighters arrived on the scene and began hosing down his house, he knew that his parents were dead. It was a realization that had left him numb inside. He couldn’t say anything; his words were caught in his throat. And he couldn’t really hear anything either; his ears were still ringing painfully and every sound was muffled. 

All Tadashi could do was stand there and watch.

 

~…~

 

 

~…~

Titans on Earth

~…~

 

“It’s nice to finally have you all here. This is a rare opportunity and only the top minds at San Fransokyo College were chosen to assist my team in this venture,” Professor Callaghan told them all. “I look forward to working with you all on this important discovery and finding out all that we can from these marvelous beings.”

One of the girls on Cass’ right raised her hand.

“Excuse me, Professor, but what exactly will we be studying? The briefing didn’t give us a lot of specifics,” she asked, her voice timid and shy. 

“That’s because there’s still a lot we don’t know about these creatures. That’s why we brought you all in. Fresh minds, we are hoping, will help us further our understanding of these beings and give more in-depth insight on what they are and how they behave,” Professor Callaghan explained, his smile never waving. 

“Now, what I will tell you all now before we enter the grounds is to be on your guard. These beings are violent and act almost purely on their instincts. We have kept them contained since their capture, but we are unsure of how strong they really are,” Professor Callaghan told them and he began to lead the group past the gates and onto the facility’s grounds. “Also, please turn off all technological devices. We can’t have anything interfering with our research or tech, and we don’t want anything leaking out before we’ve compiled our data and make an official statement.”

Cass quickly turned off her cell phone and put it back into her pocket.

When they arrived to the large, ornamental front doors, Professor Callaghan scanned his badge and they opened. He continued inside with Cass and the others following after him like lost, little ducklings. The foyer was just was grand and luxurious as any mansion would be, but the professor didn’t give them time to gawk. Instead, he led them straight to a large elevator and, once everyone was inside, pressed the button for the basement level of the facility. The elevator stopped, but before the doors opened, Professor Callaghan turned to them.

“Do not be alarmed by their appearance and do not let it fool you,” he told them. 

Cass didn’t understand what he meant. None of her classmates did. Not until the professor opened the elevator doors and led them into the wide, open lab space that the basement had become. There were rows of computers, monitors, screens, and all of the latest tech out there. But that wasn’t what drew Cass’ attention. At the back wall of the lab was a large, square, glass display case. That’s what it reminded her of, anyway. A cage is what it actually was, a holding cell to house the specimens.

And inside the cell was what the professor had been telling them about and his warning on the elevator suddenly made sense.

 

~…~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m glad you all enjoyed that last chapter there. I hope I can continue to make them just as good. Let me know what you think in the towel section! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

“We don’t know anything,” Tadashi told Setsuna, hunched in his chair with his elbows resting on the table.

It was only yesterday that the police had questioned him and his aunt, not even bothering with Hiro since he was only three. Answering their questions had been…difficult. Tadashi wasn’t exactly in his right frame of mind, still in shock from the fire and his parents’ sudden deaths, so it was Aunt Cass who provided most of the answers to them. After telling them what they were - and yes, that involved explaining who Hiro was, but thankfully, the police department was duty bound to keep that kind of information private from the public – they were asked all of the typical questions.

Did you know what caused the fire?

Have you received any sort of threats recently?

Was there anyone behaving strangely in the past couple of weeks?

Did your parents have any enemies? 

Did they do something in recently that may have angered someone?

Is there anyone out there after Hiro?

That last question caused Tadashi to freeze like a statue. Hiro was the Vampire King, the one who would eventually bring the ability of child bearing to the vampires after an entire existence of them not being able to do so. Could there be someone out there who wanted him dead? If so, why? Hiro was only three years old. He was very important to their people, so why would any of them, hell, why would anyone period, want him dead? And humans were aware that vampires lived among them, though there were no ways for a human to tell them apart, not really. Besides, it was common knowledge for both species that vampires only drank the blood of their chosen mate, so it wasn’t as though there was outcry because of humans being fed upon, not like there was four or five centuries ago. The Burning Times were long since passed, everyone knew that, and an uneasy peace reigned across the world between vampires and humans.

It was uneasy because there were still some out there who believed no one was safe unless vampires were eradicated permanently. But their numbers were smaller now than they were years ago and the laws in place now severely punished those who committed prejudiced and hateful crimes against the vampire community. Unless it was an absolutely necessity, vampires lived among humans, acting like humans, working alongside humans, and everything and weren’t obligated to tell them what they really were. Most people were accepting nowadays, but that didn’t mean that everyone was.

Now that the police were done with their questioning, the vampires were having a session of their own. Two of the older vampires in their society were before Tadashi’s very eyes. Hayato, who was sitting across from him and who had been the most understanding and sympathetic to the recent tragedies, and Setsuna, who was standing, who looked serious and intimidating despite him being shorter than Tadashi, and who had been asking most of the questions. Tadashi wasn’t sure if he liked either one of them, to be honest.

From what he had gathered from what they had said and from Aunt Cass’ reaction, Hayato and Setsuna were old even among vampire standards, having been around for a thousand years at least for each of them. They were well known, often cited for their wisdom, and were important. But while they were both renowned, it was only Setsuna who held a seat among the Vampire Council, the group of nine powerful, old vampires who were kind of like war generals serving underneath a major general in a way. When Hiro would come of age, he would be the Vampire King, unchallenged, unquestioned, and unmatched, but the VC, as they were commonly known among the younger vampires today, would still be around to provide advice, assistance, and to act as liaisons between human-vampire relations and even vampire-vampire relations, should the need for it arise

“So, you are unsure if there is someone out there amongst the humans or our people who had any sort of grudge against your parents?” Setsuna asked Tadashi, his amber eyes staring unblinkingly at him, making him feel like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar by the bad cop parent. 

“As far as I know, no one had any reason to hurt them,” Tadashi answered.

“And you are unaware if there is someone who is after our King?” Setsuna said.

“Why would anyone be? He’s just a baby,” Tadashi countered, starting to get defensive. 

“We aren’t trying to cause trouble. We just want to get to the bottom of this. This is the Vampire King, after all, and his family, your, family, was just attacked,” Hayato said gently.

“How do you know it was an attack? Maybe it was an accident,” Tadashi retorted. 

“Hiro is the Vampire King. He is destined to change this world of ours. You cannot tell me that it is not suspicious that your parents died in a fire started at your home where he was sound asleep in,” Setsuna responded. “All of our kind knows who Hiro is and, to certain extents, there are even some humans who know as well. Do not tell me this was an accident because that would be wishful thinking at best and outright denial at worst.”

“Are you trying to say this is Hiro’s fault?” Tadashi all but growled. He knew he wasn’t being entirely reasonable, but he was tired, still in shock, had been kept from Hiro for too long, and was undergoing these damn questions by vampires who should be investigating themselves instead of asking him questions he’s, in one way or another, already answered.

“Not at all, but he IS the Vampire King,” Hayato replied. “Any person who had held great power is always targeted for one reason or another. You and your family just…ran out of luck.”

“I had anticipated something like this. With our King here, it was only logical that someone, be they human or vampire, would wish for his blood,” Setsuna said, muttered really, and more to himself than to anyone else.

“You knew this would happen and you didn’t tell anyone?!” Tadashi growled, glaring at Setsuna. Setsuna, on the other hand, merely gazed at him, his face neutral and revealing nothing.

“I had told the rest of the Council, but they were not swayed by my mere feeling. Proof is needed to sway minds nowadays, not feelings,” Setsuna told him and for a fraction of a second, he looked tired before resuming his usual countenance. “Things are not as they once were.”

Tadashi ran his hands through his hair and over his face. He was tired. He was hungry. He was in desperate need to see Hiro with his own two eyes, to make sure he was okay, to hold him in his arms, to speak to him, to hear his voice, to feel his warmth. And he needed time to get through his shock and grieve properly for his parents. 

“I’m sorry. I’m just…” Tadashi said, feeling defeated and overwhelmed. Hayato gave him a look full of sympathy. 

“We understand. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of this whole thing, to bring justice and closure to you and our King,” Hayato said, his voice kind and full of patience. “We must insist, however, that you and the remainder of your family relocate.”

“Relocate? Why?” Tadashi asked, his head popping up. He had lived in this city his entire life, before becoming a vampire and afterwards. Moving away to some foreign place seemed…frightening.

“This city has a high crime rate, a good portion of which has been directed to vampires in the past,” Setsuna explained. “Humans know we are present in this city and they do not like it. It is not safe for the King to remain here any longer. We made the suggestion to your parents, but they did not heed the Council’s warning. The result is…well…”

“Are you saying their deaths were their own fault?” Tadashi said, his eyes narrowing at Setsuna, who remained as stock still as a statue as he had been for most of this time.

“No, no! Not at all. But…the Council did tell them that the city’s crime rate was a large point of concern, especially since our King is still a toddler,” Hayato, once more, quelled the storm before it was even given a chance to rage. Tadashi could see why he had been sent along with Setsuna. Tadashi sighed.

“Where do you purpose we move to?” Tadashi asked them both.

“San Fransokyo is across the country, well away from this city. Its crime rate is low and it would be a short flight away from the Council’s main headquarters in Japan,” Setsuna answered. “Moving there would be the best solution. And it would give you all a chance to…start again.”

For once, Setsuna’s words seemed almost kind. Tadashi couldn’t do much more than nod, his mind beginning to shut down as his body began to lose its energy. 

“Thank you for helping us, Tadashi Hamada. We hope to see you and our King again,” Hayato thanked him as he stood up, his files underneath his arm.

Tadashi stood and followed the two out of the room, walking and weaving past doors and cubicles as they left the police station. Night had fallen since Tadashi had first entered the station and now that he was outside, he realized just how hungry and tired and drained he truly was.

“Tadashi!”

“Dashi!” Aunt Cass’ voice and Hiro’s voice called out to him and he turned and spotted them, standing beside Aunt Cass’ truck. A bright, wide smile was on Hiro’s face, and his small, chubby fingers were reaching out to him, wanting to be held.

“We will be in touch, Tadashi,” Setsuna said before he and Hayato departed, going off on their own into the night. He didn’t bother saying good-bye; he was already half way towards his aunt and Hiro.

“Dashi! Dashi!” Hiro cried out, tears welling up in his eyes as Tadashi neared. 

Once he was in his arms, Hiro buried in face in Tadashi’s chest and cried, bawled like a baby, his tiny body shaking and his tiny fists curling Tadashi’s shirt as they pulled on them. Tadashi shushed him and cooed, trying to calm him down, trying to stop his tears from flowing, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t possibly begin to imagine what Hiro was feeling; their parents were dead and he had been apart from Tadashi for far too long, longer than he had had to be ever before. It must have frightened him beyond belief. Those bastards, the police, those two vampires, and whatever or whoever caused the fire. His Hiro was suffering and he hated it, he hated it! He wanted to rip apart all of them for doing so, but he couldn’t.

Right now, he had to focus on Hiro and making sure he was okay. Once they got into Aunt Cass’ truck, Tadashi held Hiro close to him, so much so that he was half afraid he was smothering him, but Hiro didn’t try to move. Instead, he just clung to Tadashi, unwilling to let him go for even a second. Tadashi ran one of his hands up and down Hiro’s back, soothing him as they rode on.

“What were Setsuna and Hayato doing in town anyway?” Tadashi asked his aunt, his voice a slight growl, causing Hiro to squirm. Tadashi cooed at him and nuzzled his soft, messy hair. Hiro stilled and relaxed against his body, his head turned to the side, his wide, unblinking eyes staring out of the window as the buildings passed them by.

“They came to see Hiro on behalf of the VC,” Aunt Cass replied. “Took them along enough, but I guess even they can get busy.”

“We have to move,” Tadashi told her. She nodded.

“I know. We’ll be leaving in a few days,” she said. “It’s not like we have a lot to pack…”

Silence fell upon them as Aunt Cass drove towards the hotel that was their home until they found a permanent one in San Fransokyo. Tadashi held onto Hiro, soaking up the warmth of his small body and finally feeling at ease now that they were together. His body relaxed and went slack in the seat of the truck. Tadashi didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep until they had stopped.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so, so, so sorry for not updating this story. I was finishing my Titans one and I pushed this one and my other to the back burner. Please forgive me! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

Tadashi had had no idea that driving across the country would be so…long. 

That wasn’t entirely true; he had known it would be a long drive, but there was a difference between knowing and experiencing it first-hand. The first day hadn’t been bad; they had started out at eight in the morning and by eight at night they were looking for a cheap motel to stay at. Sitting for twelve hours straight had been a nightmare. Tadashi wasn’t used to sitting for that long and Hiro was often in his lap, gazing out of the truck window in awe and fascination as the scenery went by. He thought it was adorable watching his little mate gape at the changing scenery. Hiro had been used to the city all of his short life and seeing any sort of greenery was a new experience for him.

But that only lasted so long.

Eventually, he began to tire of sitting. He wanted to get up and move about and play, but that just wasn’t an option. The only thing keeping Hiro from a tantrum was Tadashi cooing at him and snuggling him and promising they’d play once they got to where they were going.

It hadn’t taken long for Aunt Cass to find a little home for them in San Fransokyo, not with the connections she apparently had out there, friends that she hadn’t seen for decades. They helped her to find a little home that happened to have an empty café style restaurant below it. Cass had always been an amazing baker and cook, so she and Tadashi came up with the idea of opening a café there to make a living. That would also help with something else they had decided upon.

Since his parents were dead and Hiro was the Vampire King, Tadashi had suggested that perhaps it would be better if they all posed as humans in San Fransokyo. While Setsuna and Hayato had told him that the crime rate was lower there, after what had happened, Tadashi didn’t want to take any chances. Blending in with the human population would be their best and safest bet. 

It will be hard for all of them, especially Hiro as he is the Vampire King and still so young, but it was necessary. Protecting what remained of his family was necessary for Tadashi. And, hopefully, this would work. He didn’t see why it wouldn’t. As Setsuna had said, it would be a chance to start over again, and after the horrible tragedy that had shaken their lives like an earthquake, Tadashi believed that they all needed that. 

However, that still didn’t make the trip all that enjoyable.

Tadashi had never been so glad to see a motel in all his life. When he had gotten out of the truck with Hiro in his arms, sound asleep from sheer boredom, he almost collapsed. His legs felt like Jell-O and he could hardly feel his rear. Walking with a sleeping three year old in his arms was quite the feat, but he had somehow managed to make it into the main office area of the building.

Aunt Cass spoke with the receptionist, an elderly lady who cooed at Hiro, who was burying his face in Tadashi’s shirt as he slept. Once they were given their room key, they went to their room where Tadashi plopped backwards onto one of the twin beds while Aunt Cass went to take a shower. He rolled onto his side and snuggled Hiro, thankful to finally be out of the truck and in a bed. 

Tadashi was awakened by Aunt Cass, whose short hair was still wet and who looked just as tired as he felt.

“The bathroom’s all yours, Tadashi. Why don’t you take a shower or bath and relax your muscles? We still have a long road ahead of us,” she said. 

Nodding dumbly, Tadashi released Hiro and rolled out of bed. He walked into the bathroom and left the door open slightly just in case. After shedding his clothes, he stepped into the shower, pulled the curtain close and turned the water on. Never before had he been so thankful for hot water than he was right then and there. Releasing a low moan, Tadashi let the water spray down upon him, drenching his hair and body, soothing his back, and just stood there, soaking it all in. 

“Dashi?” a small, tired voice cried out for him. A tired smile spread across Tadashi’s face.

“I’m in the shower, Hiro,” he replied, reassuring his brother and mate that he hadn’t disappeared or anything. The next thing Tadashi knew, small arms wrapped themselves around one of his legs as Hiro slipped in the shower, gasping.

“Hiro?” Tadashi asked and looked down. Smiling up at him was Hiro, the gap between his teeth as adorable as ever, and his usually untidy hair was clinging to his face and neck. He looked far too adorable and precious for words.

“Dashi,” Hiro replied and held onto his leg as his wobbly legs steadied themselves. Tadashi guessed he wasn’t the only one who was stiff from the drive.

This hadn’t been the first time Hiro had joined him in the shower, so Tadashi wasn’t all that surprised. He quickly washed himself and then Hiro before turning the water off and getting out. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Tadashi dried Hiro off and sent him out to Aunt Cass to change into cleaner clothes before he finished drying himself off and dressing. Hiro was already passed out on the bed when he opened the bathroom door and turned off the light. After saying good night to his aunt, Tadashi joined Hiro in bed, curling his larger body around Hiro’s tiny one, shielding him from the world around them.

Tadashi was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

 

~…~

 

That was how their days went as they drove to San Fransokyo. The drive only lasted four days – the truck had broken down on one of them, of course – but as they neared their new city, Tadashi felt as though a weight were being lifted off of his shoulder. This really would be a new start to their lives. It’d be a new city, a new home, and there’d be new people to meet and get to know.

Which brought to mind something else…

“Hey, Aunt Cass?” Tadashi asked.

“Yeah? What’s up, Tadashi?” Aunt Cass replied, looking over at him briefly to make sure nothing was wrong. Hiro was sleeping in Tadashi’s lap, his level one reading robot book still clutched in his tiny hand.

“Hiro’s three now. We should probably enroll him in some kind of preschool once we get settled any everything in San Fransokyo,” Tadashi suggested. He had been thinking about this the past few days.

If they were going to pretend to be humans, then that would mean that Hiro would have to go to school. Tadashi had wanted him to go regardless. Hiro was special and smart; school would help him and guide him and enlighten him in ways that not even their parents could have done. Even though he was the Vampire King, Hiro was still so young, he was still a child, and children went to school until they graduated. There were so many opportunities available at school and Tadashi wanted Hiro to have them as well.

Being the Vampire King, the only vampire to be born naturally as a human is born, and the one and only king period, was something new, something big. No one really knew what it meant yet and no one knew what awaited Hiro down the road. But Tadashi did know that normalcy wouldn’t be there, not often, not when Hiro was old enough to take on the responsibility he was given. Growing up like any normal child might help him along his way; it could only do good things for Hiro, Tadashi believed in that. He believed in Hiro.

“Two and a half is usually when most kids start going to preschool,” Aunt Cass said. “Before now, your parents weren’t sure what to do as far as his schooling, what with him being the Vampire King and all.”

“I know, but things have changed. We’re supposed to be human now,” Tadashi replied. 

“You’re his mate. We’ll look into them once we get settled in and whichever one you think is best, we’ll send him there,” Aunt Cass said. “He’s so cute that no one could say no to him.” She beamed down at Hiro with pride. And then, she smiled that way to Tadashi.

“Speaking of which, you should apply for college, Tadashi,” she said.

“You really think so?” Tadashi asked. He had thought about it, but not seriously. And then Hiro had been born and Tadashi had had little desire to live his side.

“Yes, I do! You’re really smart, Tadashi. And it’s not fair to ask you to give up everything just to make sure we’re okay,” Aunt Cass told him. “I can take care of things myself, you know. Besides, you’ve come up with some wonderful ideas yourself and I want to see you go on and create them. I want to see you make something of yourself too.”

“I’ll think about it,” Tadashi said, giving her a smile. 

He would, too, but not until Hiro was taken care of first. No matter what, Hiro would always be his first priority. He was not only his brother but his mate as well; Tadashi wouldn’t, couldn’t, let anything bad happen to him. Right now, the only thing on his mind was getting to their new home and turning it into a home for Hiro to live in. It wasn’t just his responsibility; it was something he wanted to do. 

And he would make it happen. He would.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Before we delve into the chapter, I just want to thank everyone for taking time to read my story and for commenting, following, or adding it to your favorites. It means a lot to me! Now, onto the chapter! R&R. Enjoy

~…~

Tadashi had never been so relieved to step out of Aunt Cass’ truck in all of his life. His back was sore, as were his legs and even his arms. He felt exhausted even though all he had been doing the past few days was sit in the truck as they drove along; he supposed that it was probably because of the travelling. Having never travelled so far before, he wasn’t used to it. To be honest, Tadashi doubted that anyone could get used to being on the road so much, but then again, everyone was different.

Stretching, he took a few steps towards their new home. It was a modest little place, cute, and Tadashi knew that the three of them would make it their home. With their three brains at it, he knew that’d make it wonderful. After all, this was a new start, a new beginning, and things would only get better from here on out. They just had to.

“Wow! It’s bigger than what I thought it’d be,” Aunt Cass said, smiling widely as she stepped up beside Tadashi with Hiro in her arms. She had been in the passenger’s seat and had been holding the sleeping bundle of joy while Tadashi took over driving, to give her a breather. 

“And nicer too. I’ll be fun exploring the place,” Tadashi agreed. Smiling himself.

“You’d better wake Hiro up. He’ll be so excited that we’re here and to see this new place!” Aunt Cass gushed, smiling lovingly down at the toddler.

“Hiro. Hiiiiirooooo,” Tadashi called softly, rubbing his nose against Hiro’s. Hiro’s nose scrunched up and he shook his head a bit. Big, tired brown eyes opened, still slightly glazed from sleep.

“Hiro, we’re at our new home. Wanna see it?” Tadashi asked his darling mate, smiling oh, so warmly at him. All of the tension from travelling seemed to melt away as Hiro yawned and reached out his tiny arms for Tadashi to take him.

“Dashi,” Hiro said and then yawned. He didn’t need to say anymore. With a bright smile, Tadashi gently took him from Aunt Cass.

“Let me get the door and then you two can go exploring, ‘kay?” Aunt Cass said as she made her way to the front door. After unlocking it, she opened it up and stepped inside with Tadashi and Hiro on her tail.

“Oh wow… This would make a wonderful little café!” Aunt Cass gushed as she rushed around the open front room, her shoes making loud footsteps on the tiled floor. “Look at how the windows bring in so much light! And I can put in a little cash register here and…”

Tadashi smiled at his aunt and guided Hiro to the stairwell. 

“Let’s do some exploring of our own, huh?” he whispered to Hiro.

“Exploring! Exploring!” Hiro giggled as Tadashi led them up the apartment upstairs. They walked into the kitchen and Tadashi whistled. 

“Aunt Cass will love this kitchen,” he told Hiro, who turned every which way he could to see every little thing.

The cabinets were sturdy, but in need of paint. That wouldn’t be a bad job, though; they could all have fun with it, so there was that. Aside from the oven and stove needing to be washed again – just in case – everything appeared to be in working order. Tadashi moved from the kitchen to the living room and he wondered how on earth they’d be able to get furniture, let alone get it up the stairwell, which wasn’t very large or roomy.

As he and Hiro surveyed the living room, Tadashi could envision how it’d be: there’d be a couch, an arm chair too maybe, and the TV would be placed in front of the couch, where all three of them would curl up and watch TV and movies, Hiro on Tadashi’s lap, maybe a cat on Aunt Cass’ – she loved cats, after all. It’d be amazing and wonderful, simply wonderful. He greatly looked forward to those days, which would hopefully be happening soon.

“How many bedrooms?” Hiro asked Tadashi, looking up at him with a worried countenance. Tadashi smiled and hugged him close, inhaling his scent and taking in his body heat.

“I dunno, Hiro. Can’t remember,” Tadashi replied. He pulled back and gave him a smile. “Let’s go and see, shall we?”

“Okay,” Hiro mumbled and Tadashi just knew what was troubling him. More than likely, Hiro was afraid that he’d have a room of his own, away from Tadashi. But Tadashi already knew that that wasn’t going to happen.

They made their way up the stairs and the apartment slip into two rooms, two bedrooms with a bathroom, complete with shower and bath. But Hiro didn’t know that; Aunt Cass and Tadashi knew and with the doors closed there was no way to tell anything for sure.

“Well, well, well, it looks like there’s only two rooms,” Tadashi said, smiling down at Hiro, who perked up at that. “One for Aunt Cass and one for you and me.”

“Yeah!” Hiro cheered, his brown eyes lighting up and a smile spreading across his face.

“Buuuuut, let’s make sure,” Tadashi added, grinning. He opened the door on the left and guided them inside. With a knowing grin, he watched as Hiro looked around the room. He got excited at first, but then deflated when he saw the bathroom door.

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing to it. 

“Let’s see,” Tadashi said. Walking over to it, he opened the door and peered inside along with Hiro to the bathroom beyond the door. “Well, look at that. Our own bathroom. The other room is probably like this one too.”

“We have to make sure,” Hiro said, giving Tadashi a sharp look. Laughing, Tadashi hugged Hiro again; he was so smart for his age, far more than he was given credit for. If pushed in the right direct, he’d do amazing things.

“You’re right. We have to make sure,” Tadashi agreed. 

After they explored the room that would be Aunt Cass’, they made their way down the stairs and almost bumped into their aunt, literally.

“Oh! There you two are! So? How does it look? Do you like it? Will it be big enough?” Aunt Cass asked, her eyes lit up with excitement and eagerness. Tadashi gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’s perfect for a family of three,” Tadashi said.

“I thought so too! Oh, this is going to be wonderful! We’ll paint everything and get brand new furniture and all that jazz!” Aunt Cass gushed. They made their way into the kitchen. “I’ll open up shop and everything will be great!” She turned to Tadashi and Hiro, her eyes filled with tears.

“This is it. This is our new beginning,” she said and bit her bottom lip before she rushed over to them and enveloped them both in a hug. “I am so happy right now! So happy! We are going to love it here!”

She pulled away and gave them a big smile that was full of pride and love. 

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, boys, so let’s get our few boxes inside and then we’ll find someplace to chow down at!” Aunt Cass commanded them as though they were her soldier boys. Tadashi laughed and set Hiro down on the floor.

“Let’s give Aunt Cass a hand, huh?” he asked.

“Okay! Sure!” Hiro said and he ran off after Aunt Cass, calling for her as his little legs guided him carefully down the steps to the café. 

Tadashi followed him and within a few minutes, all of their belongings that hadn’t been destroyed in the fire were inside, placed carefully on the kitchen floor.

“We’ll go tomorrow and see what furniture we can get and then go and see about paint and-“ Aunt Cass began, but Tadashi cut her off.

“Why don’t I go and see about the furnishings while you and Hiro go get the paint and cleaning supplies,” Tadashi suggested. He knelt down beside Hiro and gave him a smile.

“Will you be okay helping Aunt Cass out tomorrow? I can lift heavier things than she can and I don’t want to take the chance of either of you getting hurt,” Tadashi asked Hiro.

“I can help Aunt Cass,” Hiro said, standing up tall and sticking out his tiny chest. It made Tadashi laugh.

“Are you sure, Tadashi? My truck is only so big…” Aunt Cass said, looking concerned.

“It’s no problem. I won’t bring everything we need over; just whatever might fit,” Tadashi answered. “It’s okay if I can take the truck, right?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah! I saw a hardware store just a few blocks from here. Hiro and I can walk,” Aunt Cass reassured him with a smile. “We don’t really need much. I just want this place to look like a home.”

“It will. Slowly but surely,” Tadashi said and he pulled Hiro into his arms before he stood up. He laughed when he heard Hiro’s stomach growl. “I guess it has been a while since we all had something to eat.”

“Then let’s go and find someplace that, hopefully, serves good food!” Aunt Cass said as she dangled the keys before making her way down the stairs.

Tadashi followed slowly behind her, not in much of a hurry despite his own hunger. He had a really, really good feeling about this place. Hopefully, that meant that their lives would be full of happiness and love and free of too many hardships and stress. There was a lot on their plate to do, but they’d get there eventually. He was certain about that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’ve been sick for the past week and a half, which is why this story is just now getting updated. Being sick takes a lot out of you. I’m sorry for the wait. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! R&R. Enjoy!

As the days turned into weeks, Tadashi, Hiro, and Aunt Cass began turning the new house into a home. It was hard work, there was a lot to do, but they somehow managed to get everything finished. Now, it was a home, much like the one they used to live in. Aunt Cass even transformed the first floor into a cute, little café and opened the doors about four months or so after they had moved in (Tadashi was thankful that his aunt was well known among the vampire community and had a lot of friends with connections to help speed the process up).

Time passed.

It’s funny; when you’re younger, time seems to move slowly, even stand still, but when you’re older, it often goes by in the blink of an eye. 

Tadashi and Aunt Cass had found the perfect preschool for Hiro – it was within walking distance, which meant that Tadashi could walk Hiro there every morning and pick him up around lunch time. And they had enrolled him in a five day program, both having realized that Hiro was not like most children – Vampire King status set aside. He was different; he had a gift. They wanted to make sure that he had every opportunity for it to grow and develop. Plus, the teachers there seemed to be really nice people. 

Well, Tadashi was happy to say that he and Cass were right about Hiro having a gift.

Every teacher that he spoke to told him that Hiro was ‘exceptionally bright’, maybe even a genius, even. Tadashi couldn’t lie; his head kind of spun at that one. Genius. His little Hiro, a genius? Perhaps it was too early to tell yet, since, by this time, Hiro was four, but he could see it. After all, he was the Vampire King and no one knew what that entailed. As the first natural born vampire in existence, perhaps Hiro was, indeed, a genius. But still, he was four. Although he seemed to love preschool and learning – he and Hiro were always watching documentaries on the Science Channel and the like – he was still very young. Tadashi didn’t want to put too much pressure on him than need be.

That didn’t mean that he didn’t encourage Hiro to learn anything and everything. Tadashi often spent his evenings with Hiro, helping him build things or watching him build things out of blocks, Legos, whatever he could get his tiny hands on. It was both amazing and adorable, watching Hiro work, the various expressions that crossed his face. How many hours Tadashi had spent just watching Hiro as he created anything that popped into his mind he did not know. 

All he did know was that his brother and mate was the most incredible and unbelievable person ever. 

 

~…~

 

“Do I have to go?” Hiro groaned as Tadashi helped him get ready for his first day of kindergarten.

“Yes. Why are you so against going to school now? I thought you liked school,” Tadashi asked him and he knelt down in front of Hiro. He looked so adorable in his blue shirt with the robot on it. Hiro looked adorable in pretty much anything, actually. Tadashi gave him a warm and loving smile.

“I do like school,” Hiro said and he blushed and bent his head. “I just…like you more.”

That made Tadashi’s smile grow even wider. At six years old, Hiro may have looked like a kid, but it was obvious that he was special, so very special. He was far more advanced than his classmates, so much so that a lot of teachers and principals wanted to just start him in school already, but Tadashi wasn’t so sure about that. 

He wasn’t going to lie; he was overprotective of Hiro and he wanted what was best for him. Part of that meant giving Hiro the chance to have a normal life, as much as he could anyway, and that meant going through school like any other kid would. Until Hiro was ready and wanted to advance further, he’d be going through all the motions that every kid went through. But just until he was ready. Which, so far, he wasn’t. 

“I know you do, Hiro. I love you too,” Tadashi told him and placed a kiss on his forehead, causing Hiro to smile at him. It was one of his big, happy smiles that showed off the gap between his teeth and it completely melted Tadashi’s heart.

“Don’t worry. You’ll love it just like you have before. It’ll be fun,” Tadashi tried to reassure him. “And I’ll be waiting for you when you get out.” That seemed to perk Hiro up a bit.

“You’ll still come and get me?” Hiro asked, excitement rolling off of him in waves as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. Tadashi laughed and pulled him into a hug.

“Of course I will! I would never leave you alone, Hiro,” Tadashi replied. “Never.” 

He pulled Hiro into his arms and gave him a big, warm hug. Hiro was getting bigger every day. Not by much; he was still small and skinny and he probably always would be, but that was okay. Tadashi kind of really liked the thought that Hiro would always be smaller than him. It made him feel important, as though he had something truly precious to protect, which he did. Hiro. 

“I love you, Hiro,” Tadashi whispered into his ear, causing Hiro to shiver and laugh softly.

“I love you too, Tadashi,” Hiro answered and pulled back, giving him another big smile.

“We’d better get you off to school. You can’t be late on your first day,” Tadashi said and stood up, extending a hand for Hiro to take. He did and, together, they left their shared bedroom and proceeded down into the kitchen.

“There’s my big, strong men!” Aunt Cass gushed when she saw them. After pulling them into a hug, she turned and grabbed a bagged lunch off the countertop.

“Hiro, I just know you’ll have so much fun today!” she said and pulled him into a hug. Tadashi chuckled when Hiro gasped, mocking the need for air when their aunt didn’t let go right away. He still didn’t like anyone touching him for too long, aside from Tadashi that is.

“Thanks, Aunt Cass,” Hiro said when she finally let go. He took the lunch she offered him.

“Go and learn something new! And make some new friends!” Aunt Cass called as they descended the stairs and left their home.

“Hey, maybe you’ll make a friend this year,” Tadashi said as he smiled down at Hiro.

“I don’t need any friends. I have you,” Hiro told him and Tadashi chuckled softly and ruffled his hair, all the while worrying just a bit.

Hiro hadn’t made any friends in preschool. He was kind of shy and when he did open up, a lot of the kids just…didn’t seem to like him. Maybe they saw that he was different and that being different was a bad thing. Tadashi didn’t know. He was just worried that things would get harder for Hiro as he got older. He hoped that that wouldn’t be the case. Only time would tell, though.

Once they arrived at the school, Tadashi and Hiro stopped. Crouching down, Tadashi hugged Hiro again and gave him an encouraging smile.

“You got this, Hiro,” he said. Hiro looked up at the school and then back at Tadashi.

“I don’t want to go,” he said. Tadashi sighed softly and patted Hiro’s sides gently, so as not to tickle him.

“I’ll tell you what: if you don’t like kindergarten, really, truly don’t like it and want to move to a higher level, I’ll let you,” Tadashi said. Hiro’s eyes lit up and he smiled.

“Really? You will?” he asked, excitement radiating throughout his little body. Tadashi couldn’t help but laugh.

“Really. I promise. But you still have to try to like kindergarten, okay?” Tadashi said.

“Deal!” Hiro shouted and threw himself into Tadashi’s arms, laughing. With one final hug, Tadashi released him.

“You’re going to have a great day!” Tadashi cheered him on and let Hiro go. He watched as his little mate dashed into the school, tiny hands clutching the straps to his book bag while his little legs carried him.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself and then started the trek home.

Later on that day, when Tadashi had returned to pick Hiro up, he watched as his brother walked out of the school, crying softly, biting his bottom lip, all the while the other kids laughed at him and pointed to the obvious wad of gum stuck in his hair. With a deep frown, Tadashi decided that that would be Hiro’s last day in kindergarten. He didn’t care if he had to threaten every teacher and faculty member on the school board, Hiro would be getting away from those brats even if it was the last thing he’d do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know, I know. It’s been a while since I’ve updated. But, in my defense, I am working on five one-shots at the moment, three of which are Hidashi fanfics, so hopefully they’ll make up for it when I finally upload them when they’re finished. Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section! R&*R. Enjoy!

~…~

No force on Earth could stop Tadashi when he set his mind to something.

After bringing Hiro home and as carefully as he could, extracted the wad of gum from his hair and giving his dear mate and brother plenty of hugs and kisses, Tadashi talked to Aunt Cass. While Hiro was in the living room watching a show on robotics – and correcting everything the narrator got wrong – he told her what had happened. It had taken Tadashi five minutes, literally, to keep Aunt Cass in the kitchen and quiet instead of allowing her to go on a rampage and reduce the local population to zero. She had calmed down eventually, or rather, to the point where she could admit without clenching her teeth that killing humans would be a BAD idea.

He understood her anger and rage. Tadashi himself had thought about doing the very same thing, only he wouldn’t stop at just the local population; he would make the entire city pay instead of just the area that they lived in. But that wouldn’t help Hiro nor would it make things better. Instead, he and Aunt Cass decided to have Hiro tested, to see where he was academically and then they would place him in the grade he should be in. 

Tadashi had to admit, though, that he was hesitant about doing it. So many things could go wrong. The board could discover that Hiro is the Vampire King. They could deny him the chance to even take the tests, however many there may be. If Hiro was moved to an advanced grade, the teasing might get worse. Hiro might not like it. He could become depressed…

But they needed to try. Tadashi refused to see Hiro cry again because of his classmates. Hiro was too special, too precious, to be made fun of. None of the other kids would understand him; it was hard to say if any human would ever be able to. Even Tadashi and Cass didn’t understand the burden that was on Hiro’s shoulders as the Vampire King. Hell, Hiro didn’t even know that such a burden was there. He didn’t even know what he was, who he was. Tadashi would have told him by now, but he wasn’t sure if Hiro would understand, even though he had already proven how smart he was. Telling someone that they’re a vampire and their king is a hard pill to swallow. Eventually, he would explain everything to Hiro, but only when the time was right.

Besides, that wasn’t entirely important right now. What was important was that Tadashi needed to get Hiro away from those awful brats and keep him safe, safer than he is right now anyways. Tadashi knew that little kids could be mean and cruel, even though they didn’t understand that they were being that way. However, he needed to look after Hiro and he was going to do so by any means necessary. 

Later that night, when Tadashi and Hiro were settling into bed, he decided to bring up the IQ test to Hiro. Hiro would be able to understand what he was talking about; he always seemed to understand, even if there were no words spoken.

"Hiro," Tadashi said gently as he pulled back the covers on his bed and tucked himself underneath beside Hiro. Hiro had his own bed, of course, but he hardly ever slept in it. Tadashi's was a little bit bigger and, according to Hiro, far more comfortable anyway. 

"Yeah?" Hiro said around a yawn. He just looked so cute that Tadashi felt the overwhelming urge to cuddle him. So, that's what he did.

He pressed his larger body against Hiro's and pulled him in close. His arms wrapped around him, protecting him, shielding him, and he buried his nose in Hiro's hair, inhaling the scent of cherry blossoms. Tadashi felt his body relaxing immediately; his body, heart, and soul were rejuvenating just by being so close to his mate. 

"Aunt Cass and I were talking and we wondered if you would be interested in taking an IQ test," Tadashi said as though it were perfectly normal. He held Hiro close to him and he could feel his confusion and curiosity.

"IQ test? Why would I want to take one of those? I already know I'm pretty smart for my age," Hiro replied. Tadashi chuckled and shook his head.

"You're unbelievable and I love that about you," Tadashi chuckled and hugged his brother. "But you had a...bad day today, didn't you?"

Hiro bent his head and buried it in Tadashi's chest. He had said much about it; as a matter of fact, he hadn't said anything at all when Tadashi picked him up. All he would do was nod or shake his head or shrug, and, of course, cry harder. It took Tadashi forever to calm him down and after he had, he kept a close eye on him, even as he explained what had happened to Aunt Cass. 

"You don't have to talk about it now. Only when you're ready, okay?" Tadashi reassured him and placed a kiss on his messy hair. He could feel Hiro trembling ever so slightly in his arms and it filled him with sadness. This was not how he wanted Hiro's life to be. Yes, he knew that Hiro would know sadness and pain, but he hadn't wanted it to start so soon.

"They made fun on my teeth," Hiro mumbled into Tadashi's night shirt.

"Your teeth? You mean your adorable gap?" Tadashi asked gently. Hiro nodded and sighed.

"Yeah. And my hair. And how small I am, even for my age," Hiro told him. "They treat me different. They have ever since I was little."

"You're still little," Tadashi pointed out. Hiro elbowed him, but it was only half-heartedly and he barely even felt it. He pressed another kiss to Hiro's head.

"I was just joking," Tadashi said, his voice warm and full of love.

"What about me is so different from them?" Hiro said, his voice barely above a whisper. Tadashi heard it as plain as day.

Part of him wanted to tell Hiro that he was a vampire and, more importantly, the Vampire King. Part of him wanted to tell Hiro that he was the first natural born vampire, something like that kind of a new species in a way, and that being the first of something was always a hard thing to go through. Part of him wanted to tell Hiro all of him, but another part of him wanted to protect Hiro for as long as he could, not just from the humans, but also from other vampires and from whatever or whoever it was that had killed their parents and had forced them to move to a new city. More than anything else in the world, Tadashi wanted Hiro to be happy and he knew with all of his heart that telling Hiro about everything now would not make him happy. 

So, instead, Tadashi embraced Hiro and poured all of his love and warmth into it. He wanted Hiro to feel his love and he wanted him to feel safe and secure in his arms. When Hiro began to relax, Tadashi smiled kindly and gently took Hiro's chin in his hand and made their eyes connect in the darkness of their room.

"You're just special, and that's not a bad thing. The other kids probably sense that and they just don't know what to say or how to feel," Tadashi told him, his smile never wavering and the love he felt for his mate never leaving his gaze.

"You...you really think so?" Hiro asked him and Tadashi was suddenly reminded that he was only six years old. 

"Of course I do," Tadashi said and he pressed a kiss to Hiro's forehead and cheeks. He wanted so badly to kiss his lips, but that was one boundary that he didn't want to cross just yet, not while Hiro was still so very young. 

"I love you," Tadashi said as he pressed their foreheads together. Hiro smiled, his wide, bright smile and hugged Tadashi fiercely, as though he would die if they parted.

"I love you too, Tadashi," Hiro said and then, in a surprising and bold gesture, he pressed a small, chaste kiss to Tadashi's lips. He giggled at Tadashi's surprised reaction and cuddled against him, burying his face against Tadashi's shirt once more.

"You don't have to be so shy, you know," Hiro said and Tadashi, for the first time in a long time, blushed, his ears slowly turning pink. "My mind isn't as young as my body." 

"I'll...try to keep that in mind," Tadashi said. "Good night, Hiro."

"Good night, Dashi," Hiro replied. He yawned and closed his eyes. 

Shaking his head, Tadashi snuggled with his dear brother and mate and listened as Hiro's breathing deepened and evened out. He fell asleep listening to Hiro's soft breaths.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It has been far too long since an update. I honestly don’t know when I’ll get to a steady update schedule. All I can promise is to do my best and write every day. Now, onto the chapter! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

“Tadashi! Could you please get Hiro?” Aunt Cass called out to her eldest nephew as she ran from the kitchen down into the café. “It’s going to be a busy day today! I can tell!”

“Sure, Aunt Cass,” Tadashi replied. He stopped doing the dishes that had already piled up like crazy – his aunt had been right when she said it was busy – and dried off his hands. With the noise of chatting customers coming from the café, he headed up the stairs to his and Hiro’s bedroom.

“Hiro? Hey, Hiro? Are you up?” Tadashi called as he got closer to the bedroom door, which was closed. He put his hand on the knob and turned it only to find that it was locked. Frowning, Tadashi knocked gently on the door.

“Hiro? Hiro? What’s wrong? Why is the door locked?” Tadashi asked. No response came. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. Hiro was definitely inside; Tadashi could hear him moving. So, why wasn’t he answering him? What was wrong?

“Hiro, if you don’t open this door right now, I will break it down,” Tadashi threatened. In truth, he was far more worried than he was angry or anything. 

He knew Hiro was alive in there and that he wasn’t hurt, but he was worried. Hiro wasn’t acting like himself. As he listened once more, he thought he could hear a sniffle, a barely discernible sob, so muffled that he wasn't sure if he had actually heard it. Tadashi took a few steps back and then rammed his shoulder against the door. It instantly banged open, causing such a loud sound that Tadashi knew Aunt Cass heard it down in the busy cafe. 

Frantic, heart racing, fearing something awful had happened to Hiro, Tadashi's eyes scanned the room. First, to his part of the room, where his bed was, where he and Hiro slept every single night. The bed was perfectly made and Hiro was not there. Then his eyes immediately went to the other side of the room, the side with Hiro's bed - that he rarely ever slept in - and desk - that he was often at, tinkering away on one thing his genius mind came up with or another. 

And it was there, on that rarely used bed, that Tadashi found a Hiro sized lump underneath his blanket.

Upon seeing his little brother and mate curled up under the blanket, with no visible threat in sight, Tadashi's body relaxed and he ran a hand through his short, black hair. He crossed the short distance between himself and Hiro and sat down on the bed behind Hiro.

"Hiro? You scared me. Why didn't you answer me?" Tadashi asked, his voice gentle. He didn't want to bring up the sniffle-sob he may have or may not have heard. 

Hiro didn't answer him. He didn't even acknowledge that Tadashi was there, which was extremely weird and alarming. Usually, if Tadashi was in a room, Hiro would be right by his side, touching him in some way with no regards to Tadashi's personal space - not that Tadashi would ever push him away anyway. Over the past four years, Hiro has grown; he's no longer than tiny, awkward six year old. He was now a tiny, awkward ten year old, and he was undeniably adorable in every way. But, he was still touchy-feely with Tadashi just as he's always been. Except for right now, which was strange.

"Hiro?" Tadashi repeated, his concern starting to make itself evident in his voice. "Come on, Hiro. Talk to me."

At last, Hiro moved, but instead of moving towards Tadashi, he moved away from him and closer to the edge of the bed. He let out a barely audible sniffle, the same one Tadashi had heard earlier, and that made the elder Hamada frown deeply. Pulling back the covers and kicking his shoes off, Tadashi crawled underneath the blanket and wrapped his larger body around Hiro's smaller one. 

Thankfully, and much to his relief, Hiro didn't stiffen or freeze when Tadashi enveloped him in his arms. Insteadt, he just let Tadashi hold him, not moving, not responding, acting more doll-like than human, than vampire. It worried the elder Hamada more than he could successfully put into words. This...this was not his Hiro. Hiro didn't act like this, had never before acted like this. It was almost as though he were a pod person and the real Hiro was elsewhere. He had no idea what to do, no idea what to do to try and comfort his mate and brother. All he could do really was lay there behind him and hold him until he was ready. 

Eventually, his patience paid off.

Hiro took a deep breath and his entire body seemed to shudder and tremble. Still, Tadashi held him, breathing normally, trying to be the calming force that Hiro obviously needed. A sniffle broke the silence that had descended upon their shared room and Tadashi listened as Hiro began to speak.

"Tadashi....there's...there's something...wrong with me," Hiro said, his voice full of conviction and truth even though it trembled, full of emotion. Tadashi felt his heart break into a thousand tiny pieces just listening to it.

"No, Hiro. You're wrong. Theres' nothing wrong with you," Tadashi told him and he tightened his grip on Hiro's small body. He felt Hiro's head shake back and forth, silently telling him 'no'.

"Tadashi, no, listen," Hiro said, his voice cracking slightly. "There is something...wrong with me. I know it. I feel it."

"Hiro, there is nothing-" Tadashi tried again, but Hiro cut him off.

"Tadashi, listen to me!" Hiro said, sounding far older than ten, sounding far over than anyone Tadashi had ever met, vampire or human. He sounded as though he had lived a thousand lifetimes and had experienced so many indescribable things. "Listen...to me," he repeated. "Tadashi, I...I'm not normal."

"No one's normal, Hiro," Tadashi tried to reassure him gently, though he wasn't sure how well he did. It was a pretty weak protest to begin with anyway. 

"No, I... It's... I can't...explain..." Hiro stumbled over his words, trying to put into words what he felt. All Tadashi could do was keep quiet and listen as he held his mate. "I... It's....it's hard to... It'll sound insane."

"Hiro, no matter what you say, I will believe you. I will always believe you. Never doubt that," Tadashi said, pressing a kiss to the back of Hiro's head for good measure. He felt Hiro breath again and then felt his body relax as much as it could, which wasn't a whole lot.

"Tadashi, I... I have these...urges," Hiro began and for a moment, Tadashi's blood ran cold. He was half afraid that he'd have to give Hiro the birds and the bees talk and he was definitely not ready for that. Would he ever be, really? Was that even something he should discuss with his baby brother and mate?

"What do you mean by 'urges'?" Tadashi asked. Hiro sighed, shuddered really, trembled, as he released a breath.

"There have been... instances where I've been around you and..." Hiro started and then stopped, clearly trying to find the words to relay to Tadashi what was going on inside of his head.

"Take your time," Tadashi told him, nuzzling his hair, breathing in his scent.

"I think about you a lot!" Hiro blurted and Tadashi didn't need to see his face to tell that he was blushing. With a soft smile, Tadashi buried his nose in Hiro's unruly locks.

"Well, I think about you a lot too, Hiro," he said.

"Do you think about sucking my blood too?" Hiro quipped back.

Tadashi's eyes widened a bit. He hadn't expected that. Actually, that wasn't exactly true; he had expected that, just not this soon. Hiro was only ten and yet here he was, talking about a subject that was usually only discussed by adult vampires. However, Hiro wasn't just any vampire; he was the Vampire King and the first ever naturally born vampire. So, it would make sense that things would be very different. Aside from that, though, Hiro was special, gifted, in so many different ways. Really, Tadashi should have seen this coming.

Even more than that, he should have anticipated it and prepared to answer whatever questions Hiro had. To an extent, he has, but he was still vastly unprepared for the actual conversation. How was he to put into words what he and Hiro were, what Aunt Cass was? How was he to even begin to explain what they were, how they were different, how their world, their society was? How was he to explain to Hiro how important he was, how needed he was, how so very different he was from anyone else on Earth? How was he to explain to Hiro what it meant to be a vampire? How was he to explain any of this?

So many thoughts were racing through his mind. Tadashi was half panicked, half zoned out. This could do one of two ways: either Hiro would take it well or he wouldn't. It was that simple. Hiro was incredibly intelligent, extraordinarily so; if Tadashi explained, he would understand. The evidence was too strong to dispute it, but that didn't mean Hiro had to like it or even accept it. After all, he was still ten; granted, he was a genius, but he was still ten. 

Then again, there was also the possibility that Hiro had already noticed the signs. He was quite observant; it was very likely that he had picked up on how Aunt Cass and Tadashi were, some of the things they talked about, how different from humans they could be. When they became protective or angry, they became fierce, animalistic even. It wasn't hard to miss. Plus, it didn't hurt that half of the customers that came to their small cafe were vampires themselves, wanting to see their King, asking Cass and Tadashi how he was, saying hi, cooing at him, giving him looks of adoration and even worship. There was no way he could miss that, not in a million years.

Putting that to the side and focusing on Hiro's question, yes, Tadashi often felt the nearly uncontrollable urge to drink his mate's blood, to taste it on his tongue at last, to form that everlasting connection with him at long last. He had been putting it off because Hiro was still so young, but it was becoming harder, especially since Hiro was more than aware of the attraction their both shared to each other. They had kissed several times, had had full on make-out sessions a few times, but nothing went too far. As much as it would sometimes drive Tadashi insane to have his mate so close and yet so far, he had often thought that it was for the best. So long as he was by Hiro's side, giving him protection, seeing him happy, he could get through his desire to taste that sweet, delicious blood that coursed through his dear mate's veins. It sometimes drove him insane, to the point where the line between clarity and madness blurred so very dangerously, yet he always prevailed somehow. Aunt Cass was amazed; such a thing was unheard of. A vampire either gave in to their urges and took their mate's blood or they went mad. 

Yet here they were, defying the odds once more.

"I do, Hiro. I do think about drinking your blood," Tadashi admitted to his brother, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his neck. He felt Hiro shudder and a small spark shot up through his entire body, almsot as though it were lighting Tadashi on fire.

"Why? That...that isn't normal," Hiro whispered, his voice so soft that it was almost as though he were praying for any kind of normalcy.

But they were vampires; normal wasn't exactly in their dictionary.

"You're right. It's not normal, not for humans," Tadashi replied. "But we're not humans, Hiro. We're vampires, and it's completely normal for us."

And there it was, out in the open at long last. Tadashi had finally told him what they were, why they seemed to different from the humans Hiro was often around. Now that he knew, it would either go over well or not. He dreaded how things would turn out if it didn't go over well. Still holding Hiro in his arms, Tadashi waited with baited breath for Hiro's response.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I think you’ve waited long enough for the next chapter. How about that cliffhanger, nee? I’m glad that you are all still enjoying the story. Thanks for all of the support! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

Tension fell thick and heavy in the room, filling up any empty space and, oddly enough, drowning all other noise out. Tadashi was still holding Hiro, who seemed to be frozen in time for the past three minutes exactly. Three minutes. That’s how long it had been since Tadashi had told him the truth at long last and that was how long he had waited for a response. He didn’t care if it wasn’t a favorable one; anything at all, a huff of breath, some sort of movement, a nervous laughed followed by a ‘Tadashi, you’re crazy’ would suffice. Even an angry response was welcome at this point, as long as he got some kind of reply back, some kind of hint that Hiro was still with him and that his mind hadn’t flown the coop, unable to process what he had been told.

Three minutes may not be that long, but it felt like an eternity to Tadashi.

And in those three minutes, he became more aware of himself and of Hiro. Now more than ever, he noticed just how small Hiro was, how thin he was even though he kept a healthy diet, how warm and alive he felt in his arms, and how perfectly they fit together. Tadashi noticed just how big he was in comparison to Hiro; he may not be an overly muscular guy, but he did have some muscle and he was amazed at how he had managed to not crush Hiro all this time throughout the years, throughout all of the hugs and cuddles they had experienced together.

Would this be the last time it would happen? Would Hiro think him insane? Would Hiro deny it? Hiro was a genius; surely, he’s noticed by now the differences between all three of them and normal humans. Did Hiro notice how cold Aunt Cass and Tadashi were compared to humans? Did he even notice? Were they even cold to him, him, the Vampire King? Whenever he cried, did he see their tears turn to ice? Did he wonder why? Did he even take notice of it? And the bloodlust he was experiencing now, did he think that was something that humans went through? 

Four minutes now. 

Tadashi jumped in his own skin when he finally felt Hiro move. His arms went lax as Hiro sat up on the bed and turned to him. Brown eyes were narrowed slightly, squinting, as though he were trying to find the answer to a problem that took more than a glance to solve. There was uncertainty in those familiar brown eyes, but there was something else there too, something that told Tadashi that, on some level and to some extent, Hiro believed him. 

“This…this isn’t possible. Vampires…don’t exist, Tadashi,” Hiro said, his voice full of skepticism, his eyes searching Tadashi’s own.

Sitting up, Tadashi faced Hiro, his eyes looking into his younger brother’s, his mate’s. He gazed into those brown eyes, much like his own even though they weren’t technically, truly brothers, and saw something he had missed: fear. It wasn’t as predominate as the uncertainty and doubt, but it was still there. Whether the fear was directed at Tadashi because Hiro now thought him insane, directed at the fact that vampires did in fact exist, or directed at the fact that Hiro himself was one, Tadashi did not know. All he knew was that it was there.

And if Hiro truly believed that Tadashi was wrong, he would have been far more confident, he would have provided data, examples, and much, much more. Instead, Hiro gave him nothing, nothing to debunk, to refute what he had told him. Tadashi knew it was because there was nothing to debunk; the truth wasn’t something that could be countered, not even with lies or denial.

“Hiro, you know it’s true. And I know that you know,” Tadashi told him, his voice gentle and kind and patient. If he was anything but, Hiro might freak out and do something, run away perhaps, and although Tadashi would always ensure his safety, he’d rather not hunt Hiro down. He could be hard to find even when he wasn’t giving it his best efforts.

“But…but how…?” Hiro asked, shaking his head, not understanding. Or, rather, not wanting to understand.

“Legend has it that we were born from ice, that a goddess from on high loved how beautiful ice was and wanted for there to be creatures who embodied that beauty to walk alongside humans,” Tadashi explained to Hiro. “To humans, we’re as cold as ice and there are many, human and vampire alike, that say our hearts are frozen, but I think that’s a bunch of hogwash.”

“You’re never cold to me,” Hiro pointed out.

“That’s because you’re a vampire too,” Tadashi said, giving him a smile, hoping to encourage Hiro to accept the facts as they were. Denying who you were was like denying a bird the sky or a fish the water. 

“So, does that mean that humans feel hot to vampires?” Hiro asked. 

“They feel warm, but not hot. They don’t burn us or anything like that,” Tadashi answered. “Touching a human is like touching one of Aunt Cass’ cookies after its been sitting out for a little bit: still warm, but not enough to burn.”

Hiro thought for a moment before looking back up at Tadashi.

“Why didn’t you and Aunt Cass tell me this sooner?” Hiro asked, a hint of anger in his voice. He had every right to be upset. This was a big deal and for Hiro to find out at such an awkward time in youth, and with his bloodlust kicking in, most likely made things even worse.

The problem was: where to begin? It’s not just that Hiro was a vampire; he was the world’s first naturally born vampire, the Vampire King, the only one in existence, the only one ever. Being the only one of something without having any predecessor left them, himself and Aunt Cass, along with the rest of the vampire community in the dark. How was one to know what a naturally born vampire would be like, what all it would entail, what differences would arise? How was one to even begin to understand the differences and the similarities between a natural born vampire and one who was Turned. 

There are so many questions that had no answers, not yet, and Hiro was the only one who could answer them. That was a lot to put on a ten year old’s shoulders. Add that to the fact that he was also the Vampire King and it was a recipe for disaster. Yet, Hiro needed to know who he was to their people as well. He deserved to know, but Tadashi was hesitant. It was a hard pill to swallow, finding out you aren’t what you thought you were. 

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Hiro asked him, bringing Tadashi out of his mind and into the present. 

He looked at Hiro, who seemed less than thrilled about whatever else Tadashi had been keeping from him. Was he old enough to be able to handle this? Would he even want it? There was no choice in the matter; whether Hiro wanted it or not, he was the Vampire King. That wasn’t something he could run from forever, even if it meant a future full of uncertainty and change. But Hiro was so very smart. Perhaps he would be able to understand it, to handle it. If not right now, in the future maybe. He wouldn’t have to do it alone; Tadashi would be there and so would Aunt Cass. They were a family and they would always look out for each other no matter what.

“Two things, actually,” Tadashi admitted. Hiro sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

“Great. This day just keeps getting better and better,” he mumbled and Tadashi couldn’t help but smile even just a little at that. At least he was starting to sound like himself. “Lay it on me.”

“First, you’re the first vampire to be born naturally,” Tadashi told him.

“What does that mean?” Hiro said, eyes narrowed again in confusion.

“Vampires can’t have children. It’s impossible. Many have tried and failed, often ending in their deaths,” Tadashi said.

“Then, how can the vampire population grow?” Hiro asked.

“By Turning a human. We inject a small portion of our blood into their bloodstream when we bite a human and they begin the change. Most make it; some don’t,” Tadashi replied.

“So, how can I be the first naturally born vampire if vampires can’t conceive?” Hiro said, his confusion increasing.

“No one knows. It’s a mystery, even to the scientists who have studied it for centuries. What we do know is that one day, Mom found out she was pregnant with you and then, you were born,” Tadashi said, giving Hiro a warm, loving smile that caused him to blush ever so lightly. It was adorable and seeing it made his heart fill with warmth and light..

“What does being the first naturally born vampire mean?” Hiro said. Tadashi’s smile wavered and he sighed softly, running a hand through his short hair before answering.

“There’s another legend, one that tells how the first male child to be born into the vampire community naturally, like a human is, will become the Vampire King. What that means, no one knows either. The only thing we do know is that that Vampire King of legend,” Tadashi tells him and meets his gaze, holding it, his expression serious, “is you.”

There was a pause, but it was nothing like the nearly unbearable silence that had descended upon them when Tadashi told Hiro that he was a vampire. Hiro looked away, a variety of emotions crossing his face such as confusion, disbelief, doubt, irritation, and many others. 

“I don’t…I don’t…” Hiro shook his head as though he were trying to clear away unnecessary thoughts. His mind must be a jumbled mess. Tadashi instinctively reached out and pulled Hiro into his arms, holding him close. He relaxed when he felt Hiro return his embrace.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to worry about, not really. No one even knows what your being here means. There’s never been a Vampire King before,” Tadashi quickly reassured him. “The Vampire Council, who act as sort of a…Senate I guess, agreed to leave you alone until you came of age.”

“Came of age?” Hiro mumbled softly.

“Until you were ready to take your place,” Tadashi said softly, nuzzling Hiro’s ear in an attempt to relax him a bit. It worked; he felt Hiro’s body beginning to slump in his arms. 

“I know it’s a lot to handle, but I’m here to help answer whatever questions you have. So is Aunt Cass,” Tadashi said. Hiro only nodded.

They sat together on Hiro’s bed, locked in each other’s arms, for a long time. Then, Hiro pulled away and Tadashi let him. With a soft, tender smile, he brushed Hiro’s bangs out of his way and gaze at him.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Hiro nodded and chewed his lip. He glanced over at the clock before turning back to Tadashi.

“I don’t think I’ll be going to school today,” Hiro said, which caused Tadashi to laugh.

“No. No, I don’t think you are either. Do you want me to let Aunt Cass know you’re okay and that school is out of the question?” Tadashi said. Hiro nodded and Tadashi placed him on the bed and kissed his forehead before standing up and making his way to the door. “I’ll be back in a minute.”  
Going down the stairs, through the kitchen, and into the café, Tadashi made his way over to Aunt Cass, who had just finished ringing a customer out.

“Tadashi! I was starting to get worried! Is everything okay? Where’s Hiro?” Aunt Cass bombarded him with question after question. 

“Easy, easy, Aunt Cass. Hiro’s okay. I…he…I told him,” Tadashi said. Aunt Cass stopped and a look full of worry crossed her face.

“Everything about…?” she asked and he nodded.

“About us being vampires and who he is,” Tadashi confirmed.

“How is he handling it?” Aunt Cass said, chewing her bottom lip in worry.

“I think he’s doing okay. It’ll take him some getting used to. I’m not sure what questions he still has left,” Tadashi said. “But I told him we’re both here to help him through it.”

“Good. Good. My poor boy…he must be going through so much right now,” Aunt Cass said. Tadashi gave her a reassuring smile and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Cass. He’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I know you will. Better go up and stay with him for the day. I can handle it down here,” Aunt Cass said and then shooed him away.

Tadashi made his way upstairs and to his shared bedroom, wondering what questions, if any, Hiro might still have. He wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to answer them, but he’d try his best.

“Hiro? I’m back,” Tadashi said and opened the bedroom door, only to find that the room was empty.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It has been far too long since I’ve updated this story. I apologize for making you all wait. And I won’t lie or give excuses; I was off doing other things, writing other stories, and this one was kind of pushed to the back burner. After watching BH6 recently, I decided that it was time to come back. So, here I am! Again, sorry for such a long wait. I hope you can forgive me. Let me know what you think of the chapter in the towel section down below! R&R. Enjoy!

~…~

 

Stumbling as his feet landed on solid ground, Hiro ran as fast as he could to get away from his house, his home. His heart was racing, his palms were sweaty, and his mind was racing a mile a minute with thoughts too numerous to count. He didn’t even pay attention to where he was going or those around him; he just ran as fast and as far as his legs were able to take him. Not only was he running from Aunt Cass and Tadashi, but from what he had been told as well, and as foolish as it was, maybe if he ran fast enough he could escape those horrible words before they caught up to him and settled in.

Vampires existed.

They had their own community that humans seemed to know about to some degree and were content with.

His entire family, his mom and dad, Aunt Cass and Tadashi, were vampires.

Hiro was a vampire.

The only vampire to be born naturally, like a human.

And that made him the Vampire King, some figure of legend passed down for generations.

This was all too freaking insane!

Vampires did NOT exist and they never had! They’re just superstitious beings created by a lack of understanding of the human decomposition process. Nothing more and nothing less than that. And just because there had been some incredibly sick people who had lived, like Vlad III and Elizabeth Bathory, didn’t give credit to vampires being real.

And all of this king stuff? Hiro was no king, not by a long shot. Sure, he was a genius, but a king? A king of vampires no less? No. No, no, no, no, just no. There was no way on Earth that Hiro was the king of anything except robotics – that was the only crown he’d accept. 

There must be something wrong with Tadashi. He must have some kind of mental disorder, perhaps even a personality disorder; who knows? Hiro couldn’t recall him ever going to a doctor or a psychologist; maybe he should. Maybe he’d get medication to help him not be crazy because it was clear to Hiro that he was. Of course, given Hiro’s desire to taste Tadashi’s blood, maybe he should go with him, because that was so normal.

Yet…

Somewhere deep down inside of him, some part of him, couldn’t help but be intrigued, a bit fascinated, and even willing to hear Tadashi out about this whole vampire thing. His brother’s words had struck some cord in him, one that told Hiro that he was telling the truth. After all, he had never, ever known Tadashi to lie. Withhold information? Definitely, but lie? That was another ballpark entirely. Tadashi was the nicest, most honest person Hiro knew; if he was saying all of this vampire stuff wasn’t bologna, then perhaps it really wasn’t…

Shaking his head, Hiro slowed down and stopped, his lungs were burning from running and his legs were sore and felt like Jell-O. Looking around, Hiro realized that he had ran quite a long way from home, he wasn’t in an area that he had frequented often and he didn’t recognize a lot of it. Panting, a mix of confusion and irritation on his face, Hiro looked over his shoulder and groaned out loud, his shoulders slumping. He saw what appeared to be Tadashi running along the sidewalk, heading towards him, his brown eyes fixed on Hiro.

“Jeez, I can’t catch a break today, can I?” Hiro glanced to his left and relief flooded him when he saw an alley way. 

Ducking inside of it, Hiro began jogging down it, thankful it was long and dark, even in the day light. If he could get out the other side before Tadashi came upon him, maybe he could lose him. Hiro almost laughed; for once in his life, he wanted to get away from Tadashi, how funny was that? Hiro was half way down the alley way when someone suddenly came around the corner of the exit, blocking his way out. 

Surprised, Hiro skidded to a stop and squinted at the person. They were dressed in a mostly yellow suit with some patches of black and they had wheels or…or something attached to the boots, allowing them to glide and skate effortlessly everywhere fast, which is why their sudden appearance startled him. He couldn’t tell if it was a male or female and Hiro didn’t have much time to think because the figure was suddenly skating towards him, helmet completely blocking out the person’s face. It wasn’t until one hand came up that Hiro saw similar wheels on the person’s wrists, only they were smaller and looked sharp, almost blade like…

Within the blink on an eye, one was hurled towards Hiro’s face. It went whizzing past him and all he felt was the wind whipping his hair and a sting on his cheek. Bringing a hand up to touch it, he found blood on his fingers when he pulled away. That thing had cut him! Whoever it was…they were attacking him!

Panic and fear began to take over and Hiro found himself being circled. Unfortunately for him, the circular blade that had been hurled at him returned to its own, kind of like a boomerang, and they were heading back towards him, hands poised to strike…

“Hiro!” Tadashi’s voice rang out and Hiro found himself shoved against the wall of the alley with Tadashi’s larger body shielding him.

Hiro looked up, panting in fear, at Tadashi, who was slightly crouched in front of him. Scooter closer to Tadashi’s right side, Hiro looked up at his face and saw that he was glaring hard at the yellow-clad person, who had stopped in front of them, closer to the wall parallel to their own. He had never seen such an expression on Tadashi’s face before; it was a mix of scrutiny and a snarl, as though his brother were trying to decipher who the stranger was while also trying to be menacing. While Hiro wasn’t sure if the person was affected by his expression, he certainly was. It sent a chill down his spine and not a particularly pleasant one either. 

His brother was not one to mess with when he was angry and never has it been shown so clearly as right now.

“I don’t know who you are, but I will find out,” Tadashi growled, his posture shifting as he prepared to launch himself at the person. Hiro couldn’t see the person’s face because of the helmet, but he could tell that they were weighing their options. 

Apparently, they weren’t in their favor because the person turned and left just as quickly as they came, nothing but a yellow-black blur around the alley corner. Tadashi watched them leave before he stood up and rolled his shoulders. Sighing softly, he turned towards Hiro and knelt down, his hands on him, checking for any other injuries aside from the cut on his face.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?” Tadashi asked, one hand coming up to cup Hiro’s cut cheek, thumb caressing the skin just below the cut, while the other rubbing his upper arm. 

“N-no, I’m…I’m fine,” Hiro stuttered, his body shaking. Relief flooded Tadashi’s face and he pulled Hiro into a hug. Bringing shaking arms up, Hiro returned the embrace and all but collapsed in his brother’s arms.

When Hiro’s body wasn’t shaking anymore and his legs were steady enough to hold their own, Tadashi pulled away and swept the hair out of Hiro’s eyes. His smile was soft and warm, the smile he always seemed to wear just for Hiro and guilt panged inside of him, guilt for running away and for thinking his brother was crazy. Well, Hiro still kind of thought that, but right now, his mind was on the strange person who had come barreling into the alley and who had left just as quickly.

“Who was that?” Hiro asked as he turned his head to the exit. Tadashi frowned and followed his gaze, his eyes hardening ever so slightly.

“I don’t know, but I will be finding out,” Tadashi said. He stood up and offered his hand to Hiro, which he took, all but clinging to him as they began leaving back towards the street Hiro had been on.

“Let’s get home. It’s not safe for you to be out on your own,” Tadashi said, his face losing its hardness but maintaining its troubled expression, his voice tired and tense. 

Hiro shivered at his words. He wasn’t sure what all they had meant, not exactly anyway, but he didn’t like the sense of foreboding they brought or what they implied. He wouldn’t ask Tadashi, not right now at least. Perhaps when they got home and when Hiro’s mind wasn’t muddled with too many thoughts and when his heart had settled down enough to actually hear himself think. As they walked, he tried to clear his head and push all thoughts away, which worked better than he thought. All he needed to do was take it one step at a time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you like this one just as much. Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below. R&R. Enjoy

~…~

 

Tadashi hadn’t said a word on the walk home; he didn’t even acknowledge Aunt Cass when they walked through the door. With his larger hand grasped around Hiro’s much smaller one, he had guided them upstairs to their shared bedroom and closed the door as soon as they stepped inside. Hiro crept backwards towards the bed, a feeling of dread at the inevitable lecture that was about to erupt from Tadashi. 

When Tadashi turned and faced him, Hiro gulped and sat down on the edge of the bed. His brother looked furious, more so than when Hiro was eight and he had decided it’d be a great idea to make fighting robots out of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies Aunt Cass had just pulled out of the oven (the chaos that had ensued was the stuff of nightmares but the clean-up was delicious). He had never seen Aunt Cass so upset and angry before and, until now, he had never seen Tadashi so mad before either. 

“What were you thinking, Hiro?! Why did you run away?! Do you not understand what just happened?! Do you not get just how important you are?” Tadashi began, his voice rising with every word he spoke as he stalked towards Hiro.

“You can’t solve your problems by running from them! If you were scared and confused, you should have told me! I would have helped! I would have answered your questions no problem!” Tadashi was panting heavily and although he had a point, his words made Hiro angry, angry and upset.

It wasn’t his fault that when his fight or flight instincts took over as he began to panic that his flight ones won the race. It wasn’t his fault that he had just been told that practically everything in his life had been a lie. It wasn’t his fault that Aunt Cass and Tadashi had LIED to him his entire life until he began to change and mature. If they had just told him from the get go, if they had been upfront and honest from the start, things would have been different! 

Hiro wouldn’t be ignorant of a world he knows absolutely nothing about. He would understand and know what he was, who he was, and what exactly was expected from him. He wouldn’t have run away. He would have stayed. If only he had been told about being a vampire from the very beginning instead of being lied to until the truth could no longer be denied!

“Oh, yeah?! Well…I’m not the one who lied to his younger brother for, like, his entire life!” Hiro retorted, standing up and glaring up at Tadashi. “What did you expect?! I may be a genius, but I’m still a kid! You can’t just dump a ton of weight on my shoulders and expect me to suddenly be able to deal with it! That’s not how it works!”

Brown eyes bore into brown eyes and after a minute of staring Tadashi sighed. His body slumped and he seemed tired and much older than Hiro had ever seen him. He wasn’t angry anymore; suddenly, he was the brother he had always known, he was the person Hiro loved with all of his heart and soul. And he was tired, exhausted even, and his eyes held far too much concern and fear for someone like Tadashi, who always seemed to be so calm and ready for everything.

Tadashi slumped against the wall and slid down it until his butt was on the floor. He sighed heavily and rested his forearms on his knees, letting his hands dangling limply on his legs as he gazed unblinkingly at the floor.

“I was so…so worried about you,” Tadashi muttered. Hiro took a step towards him just so he would be able to hear his soft words.

“When I saw…whoever that was in front of you, I thought you were going to die. I feared it. In that instant, I thought I was too late,” Tadashi explained and he released a humorless laugh.

“Tadashi…” Hiro practically whispered as he stepped closer to Tadashi. He sat down beside him and looked into his face, but Tadashi didn’t look at him for another minute or two. And when he did, the sadness and hints of self-loathing he found in those familiar brown eyes made him gasp.

“You’re my mate, you know,” Tadashi told him, a sad smile on his face. “All vampires have mates. We find them during our lifetime and they just…complete you. They make you whole because they’re the missing part of your soul.”

“Tadashi, I-“

“If I hadn’t chased after you… If you would have died…it would have been my fault,” Tadashi said, turning his gaze from Hiro to the floor. “I would have failed in protecting you as not only your brother, but as your soul mate. You would be dead and it would have been my fault.”

“Tadashi…I…I’m sorry,” was all Hiro could think of to say. His heart ached to see Tadashi so torn up, so unlike himself. It hurt to see Tadashi hurt so badly. Hiro leaned up and wrapped his arms around Tadashi’s shoulders, embracing him and burying his face in the short, black hair he was so familiar with.

“No, Hiro. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you and I shouldn’t have left you alone. I should have stayed and made sure that you were okay or…or something,” Tadashi said. He repositioned himself and hugged Hiro, pulling him on his lap as he did so, holding him tight, almost as though he feared Hiro might disappear into thin air.

Tadashi’s body began to tremble and Hiro’s eyes widened as he realized that Tadashi was crying. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, Hiro had been told so much, but right now, all he could think about was Tadashi and how sad he was. Nothing else registered, nothing else was important. His amazing, wonderful, handsome brother was crying, was hurting, and Hiro needed to comfort him, to make sure he would be okay in the end. As much as he would love to just sit and think through everything, he couldn’t, not with Tadashi in such a state.

“It’s okay, Tadashi. I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re okay,” Hiro said softly, hugging his brother with all of his might, his small hands rubbing his back in an attempt to call Tadashi down. 

He felt Tadashi’s hold on him tighten and then he felt something wet on his neck. His heart leapt up in his chest; Tadashi was crying. Actually crying, his tears making his neck wet and his trembling body causing Hiro’s smaller one to tremble as well, and it shocked him. Very rarely did Tadashi cry. It took a lot for him to do so, so if he was crying now…

Hiro felt awful. His heart felt as though it were breaking the longer Tadashi cried and held onto him as though he might disappear suddenly. He wanted to say something, anything, to reassure Tadashi that he was here, alive, and that he wasn’t going anywhere, but something stopped him from doing so. Although he was still in shock from everything he had learned this morning and had yet to actually think about anything, part of Hiro felt as though he was in danger. The strange, yellow-clad person that had attacked him proved that. Hiro knew that powerful people were often targeted and if he was the Vampire King then that meant that there’d probably be more people out there trying to kill him.

Shaking his head, Hiro tried to force those thoughts out of his mind. Right now, he needed to focus on Tadashi and on calming him down and not on what his life might turn into now that he knew…

“I’ve never been so afraid in my entire life,” Tadashi’s raspy, hoarse voice brought Hiro back and out of his mind. He had calmed down; he wasn’t trembling as much anymore aside from the occasional shudder. But his hold on Hiro’s body remained tight and unbreakable.

“Tadashi…” Hiro didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? He still had to deal with everything his brother had told him; how was he supposed to handle this? 

“I vowed when you were born to protect you, to do whatever it took to make sure you were safe and unharmed,” Tadashi said and sniffed. “You’re not just the Vampire King to me. You never were. You’ve always been my Hiro, my brother, my mate, and the only thing that matters to me.”

Hiro’s heart squeezed at his words. Again, Tadashi used that word: mate. After everything that had happened today, hearing that word not once but twice directed solely at him filled him with both a giddy lightness and a crippling fear. Not of Tadashi – Tadashi would never hurt him, of that he was positive – but of what all that entailed. He still had to work through no longer being human and no longer being just a genius. It was too much for him to handle, yet he couldn’t run. 

While he wanted to, he couldn’t. Tadashi’s pain was keeping him there, keeping him grounded to the floor of their shared bedroom. Aside from that, a large part of Hiro just didn’t want to leave Tadashi alone. Just thinking it turned his stomach and almost made him vomit. It felt wrong to him, very wrong, and he wouldn’t do it, he wouldn’t leave Tadashi. But what could he do…what could he say…?

“This is…a lot to take in,” Hiro said, his voice gentle, almost pleading. 

Pleading for Tadashi to be the strong one again just as he was for all these years; pleading for Tadashi to explain everything that he could, give Hiro all of the information he possessed just so that Hiro didn’t feel as though he were losing his mind as the seconds ticked by. He heard and felt Tadashi inhale deeply and then exhale before he pulled back just enough to hold Hiro’s upper arms in his large, gentle hands. Tear stains were on his cheeks and his eyes were as red as his cheeks, but the tears themselves had stopped and Tadashi looked like he was returning to who he was again. Seeing this filled Hiro ever so slightly with relief and a sense of calm that only Tadashi had ever been able to give him.

“I’m sorry, Hiro. I…guess I got carried away,” Tadashi said and gave him a half smile, one that barely managed to reach his eyes. Still, it was there, though, and that was a start, right?

“Are you gonna be okay?” Hiro asked him, still worried. Tadashi’s smile widened and he looked much better. His hand reached up and ruffled Hiro’s hair affectionately.

“Yeah. I will be. And I really am sorry for dumping so much on your shoulders,” Tadashi said. “Sometimes, I forget that you’re only ten.”

“Not my fault I’m smarter than you,” Hiro mumbled, pouting slightly at having his hair ruffled like he was six again. Tadashi chuckled and wiped at his eyes.

“I’m the only vampire who can cry actual tears,” he said softly. Hiro titled his head to the side.

“You mean vampire don’t cry?” he said.

“They do, but their tears are frozen. Little orbs of ice and nothing more,” Tadashi answered. “So, you’re not the only one who’s weird in this family.” His smile was a genuine warm and gentle smile, the smile Hiro had always remembered being directed at only him. It made his heart soar and caused imaginary butterflies to flutter excitedly in his stomach.

“This whole family is weird. We can’t leave out Aunt Cass,” Hiro corrected him, laughing a little bit.

“This is true,” Tadashi chuckled again and his smile slowly slid from his face. His eyes filled with worry as they watched Hiro. “How are you doing? Are you okay? You’re not…hurt too badly are you?” He reached up and gently caressed the skin beneath the cut on his cheek. Hiro winced slightly as his cut stung from being pulled a bit. 

“I’m not hurt. Just…stressed out and confused. Really, really confused,” Hiro admitted. 

He was feeling a lot better now that he was actually talking to Tadashi about all of this and not panicking and running off and having to comfort his brother, his…his mate. Just thinking it made his entire body tingle; it was almost as though small electrical surges were making his body very aware and very sensitive to every place Tadashi was touching him. As much as he liked it, he wanted to know more, to understand so that he wouldn’t feel as though he were losing it.

“Well, why don’t we get cleaned up and go down stairs. I think you’ll feel a lot better and more secure if Aunt Cass were in on this,” Tadashi said. “She’s probably pulling her hair out from worrying about us.” Hiro flinched at the mental image of his aunt bald and with a slightly psychotic look on her face.

“Yeah, that’s not a good thing,” he said as he stood up and followed Tadashi into their bathroom.

Cleaning up and talking with Tadashi and Aunt Cass were looking really good right now. They’d be able to help him work through the mental breakdown he almost had – probably definitely had, now that Hiro thought about it – and make everything seem a bit more realistic and semi-normal. But as Tadashi cleaned his cheek and put a bandage on it, Hiro’s thoughts turned to the strange person who had attacked him in the alley.

Well, it wasn’t an attack per se; it was kind of an attack. They had frightened him that was for sure and they had thrown that weird, sharp disc or blade or whatever it actually was at him. Thankfully, Tadashi had prevented it from escalating into an all-out attack, but the questions still remained. 

Who was the person in the yellow and black suit?

Why did they attack him?

What did they want?

Would they return?

Would Hiro see them again?

Groaning as Tadashi gently patted the bandage, making sure it remained in place, Hiro felt his head begin to pound with an on-coming headache. This was going to be a long night and it wasn’t even lunch time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: refer to chapter one on Tadashi’s crying. I don’t believe I’ve had him cry since that chapter, but please let me know if I have. It has been quite a while ha-ha. Hope you all liked the chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so very, very sorry for taking forever and a day to update this story. To be honest, there for a long while I had lost all interest in it. There’s a reason why I don’t typically write chaptered stories and it’s because I either lose interest or forget where my story is going. Well, it’s actually a bit of both. I had the beginning of the story worked out and the ending, but the middle wasn’t quite there. And by chapter thirteen I was just losing all motivation for it. But now, I’m fairly sure on where this story is going and I want to see it through until the end. I just hope that you all continue to enjoy it as you have and that you can forgive me. Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below, and as always, enjoy!

~…~

Small fingers flew deftly over the keyboard, typing out the final draft of his report. Large, wide brown eyes stared determinedly at the screen as the tip of his tongue stuck out of his mouth, a habit that he had developed early on. He was almost finished. With twenty-four pages and counting, he was positive that his essay would guarantee him that scholarship. Granted, he was over the desired number of pages by half, but that didn’t matter to him. Getting it finished and handing it into the guidance counselor tomorrow was what mattered. Aunt Cass wasn’t made of money and it was as though anyone from the vampire world or the Council itself would help him. They had been silent for years, so it was up to him.

“Hiro!” Tadashi’s voice called and Hiro jumped in his chair. He looked up and watched as his mate, his brother, came down the stairs and into the garage.

“Hey, Tadashi,” Hiro said, giving him a wide, bright smile. 

Perhaps it was because he was slowly maturing, but it seemed that nowadays every time he saw Tadashi felt like the first time. The elder vampire always managed to take his breath away. Though there were others out there who were more attractive than Tadashi, no one could compare in Hiro’s mind. His mate could look like Deadpool and he would still find him the very embodiment of perfection. But now was not the time to dwell on such romanticisms. 

“How’s the essay coming along?” Tadashi asked, stopping behind the chair and peering at his essay. 

“Almost done! I…kind of got carried away,” Hiro replied a bit sheepishly. Tadashi chuckled softly, the sound warming Hiro to his core and enveloping him in a net of safety and security. 

“I’ll say. But at least they can’t say you didn’t meet their quota,” Tadashi said and ruffled Hiro’s hair affectionately. “Dinner is ready, by the way. Aunt Cass’ specialty: wings.”

“Her wings are irresistible,” Hiro all but purred. His stomach rumbled loudly and he blushed faintly, embarrassed. 

“That they are, and it sounds like you are in dire need of them,” Tadashi laughed again. “Come on. You could use a break anyway.”   
Hiro leaned back in the chair and stretched, his arms raised over his head. Tadashi ran a hand through his hair gently and placed a kiss to his forehead. A soft smile replaced the one he had been sporting and Hiro turned back to his essay to save it quickly before he got up from his chair. He had followed Tadashi to the steps and was about to go up them before he stopped and paused. Tadashi must have sensed his sudden hesitation, because he turned back to him, concern tingeing his countenance. 

“Hiro?” he asked.

“Tadashi, I have a question,” Hiro began and paused, unsure of how to ask. 

Not because he didn’t think Tadashi wouldn’t answer him, but because the subject had never been brought up before, not really. Aunt Cass would sometimes say things, imply things, or give Tadashi looks, but she would never outwardly say something about it, at least not in front of Hiro she didn’t. Yet now that he thought about it, he was curious and he wanted so badly to know.

“Go for it, Hiro,” Tadashi said, relief crossing his face. 

“Well…this just occurred to me, but…you’ve never been to college or…anything. It’s always been me in school, and now, I’m applying to San Fransokyo Institute of Technology,” Hiro said and he started chewing on his bottom lip, unsure of how touchy this topic was. 

“You’re just as smart as I am, so I don’t understand why you’re not going to college or…something. Does it have to do with…with being a vampire?”

A shiver ran down Hiro’s spine, one that he couldn’t suppress even after knowing who he was, what he was, who he was for three years. He could still remember quite clearly Aunt Cass’ face when he and Tadashi walked into their home after he had run away. Though she wasn’t his mom, Hiro never, ever wanted to see her cry again. Just seeing her tear-streaked face was enough to make him cry pitifully, a memory he wasn’t proud of. But sitting at their dining table and listening to her and Tadashi talk about vampires, about him, about everything made it seem much more realistic, like Tadashi wasn’t crazy, like he wasn’t crazy, like his world really wasn’t crashing and burning all around him.

Listening to their words, their voices, seeing their faces, all made it real. But that didn’t mean he was entirely used to it. Hiro wondered if he would be fine if he were just a normal vampire like Tadashi and Aunt Cass, which he found rather funny. Normal vampires? That was hilarious. However, Hiro’s luck was truly one of a kind. Thankfully, he could push the fact that he was the Vampire King far from his mind most days and ignore it completely until it was late at night and his brain decided that it’d be a good thing to stress about as he was trying to fall asleep.

“Yes, and no,” Tadashi said, his voice bringing Hiro back to reality.

Looking up, he saw that Tadashi was now sitting on the steps, looking both young and old all at once. His eyes had seen more than they let on and Hiro could see that as plain as day now. But he asked and there was no taking it back, even if Hiro felt the tiniest bit guilty over bringing up something that was difficult for Tadashi to talk about. 

“I’ve been a vampire for over one hundred years. I was turned when I was twenty-one by your mom and dad. I became their first son and they became my family. You already know this,” Tadashi said, staring fondly at Hiro through eyes full of haunting memories. It was a look that took his breath away and made him feel good and bad.

“Yeah, you’ve told me this stuff before,” Hiro said softly, a bit uncertain.

“But I haven’t told you everything and…I think that since you asked and since you’re old enough now to understand…you deserve to be told,” Tadashi said. He leaned back against the steps and held out his arms. Hiro settled between them without hesitation, needing the comfort and familiarity of Tadashi’s arms around him just as much as Tadashi himself needed it. 

“I was in an accident, a pretty bad one. That was how I met Mom and Dad. Well, it wasn’t until afterwards that I met them. I had apparently suffered a lot of trauma and lost a lot of blood. Our dad wasn’t sure if I could be saved by…conventional means, so…he turned me,” Tadashi explained and Hiro felt his body tense and even though he couldn’t see Tadashi’s face, he knew the elder was looking at the garage wall morosely. “I don’t remember the accident and I don’t really remember what happened immediately after, but my memories start focusing a few months afterwards.”

He sighed and Hiro leaned against his chest, closing his eyes, listening to his voice.

“Adjusting to this life was…tricky. I hadn’t known any vampires personally, hadn’t really believed that they existed despite the treaty between humans and vampires that is still in place today. I didn’t understand a lot and I wanted to be with my family, but I couldn’t. It took me a while to accept that I wasn’t like them anymore and that I needed to learn all I could to blend in like most vampires do,” Tadashi continued. “But I still saw them, my human mother and father, though I never let them see me. I watched from the shadows as I saw them age, as I saw my father have his first heart attack, and then his second before dying, barely over fifty. I watched as my mother slowly wasted away to nothing before passing away herself. They thought I was dead; they never even knew what had happened to me. They thought their son had died in that accident in the middle of the street, just as the papers had reported.”

“That…must have been horrible. Watching your family die from afar like that,” Hiro said, his voice barely above a whisper. He held onto Tadashi tighter, feeling every bit of pain that Tadashi felt. How he was able to tell that it was Tadashi’s and not his own was difficult to explain, but he just knew.

“It…isn’t an experience I want to relive ever again. But it wasn’t just them; it was everyone I had ever known. Watching them age and die year after year. Like I said, adjusting to this life was tricky. Eventually, I kind of became…not used to death per se, but not as horrified by it. Still, it was nice when Mom and Dad moved us away to that house we lived it where you were born,” Tadashi said.

“Oh,” was all Hiro could manage to say. 

“But that doesn’t answer your question. I guess…that after watching my human family die and then all of the other people I knew and cared about pass on, I kind of lost any zeal for…well, anything. A few decades passed and eventually I started reading again. I always had a love for learning and I would read as many textbooks and other things to make up for the time I lost, but I just never really saw the point, if that makes any sense,” Tadashi said, laughing softly, kind of humorlessly but not entirely. “The only thing that ever made me consider returning to school was you, Hiro.”

“Me? Why me?” Hiro asked and he pulled back enough to look at Tadashi finally. He looked sad, but there was a small smile on his face and his eyes looked brighter to him.

“At first, it was because I wanted to protect you. And then, it was to spend more time with you. Now, it’s because you’re going beyond all expectations anyone has ever had for you and changing the world around us with your amazing robots,” Tadashi said and he was beginning to look more and more like himself, which in turn made Hiro feel better.

“They’re just robots. Nothing major or life changing. And you helped me with a lot of them,” Hiro replied.

“Just with getting you materials and using the tools you’re not allowed to use just yet,” Tadashi said.

“I’m a child prodigy who is about to graduate at thirteen and yet I can’t even use a hot glue gun,” Hiro grumbled.

“The first, and last, time you used the hot glue gun, you got it all over Mochi’s rear end. Most of his fur on that part of his body is still thinner than the rest of the fur on his body,” Tadashi pointed out.

“How is it my fault that he appeared suddenly and started rubbing against my legs while I was concentrating?!” Hiro protested, pouting slightly. 

“It’s not. But that didn’t stop Mochi from clawing your legs to shreds,” Tadashi teased him and silenced any further retorts by kissing him on the forehead. “Getting back to what I was saying, I’ve been thinking of applying to San Fransokyo’s Institute of Technology myself. You’ve piqued my interest in robotics and I’d like to learn more.”

“Plus, Aunt Cass has been all but shoving brochures down your throat every time you enter a room,” Hiro said.

“That too,” Tadashi replied and laughed along with Hiro. 

“Boys! Dinner!” Aunt Cass called for them from the kitchen. 

“Coming!” they both shouted back.

“We should get going,” Tadashi said and he stood up, placing Hiro gently down on the steps.

“So…are you really going to apply to SFIT?” Hiro asked, wanting to sound nonchalant even though he was kind of excited. He would love being around Tadashi more and he’d probably have a better time at school if his brother and mate were with him. He’d actually have a friend at school for once.

“I might consider it. I don’t know what I would go for though,” Tadashi said softly as they made their way up the stairs.

“I’m sure it’ll come to you eventually. You really should give it a shot. I mean…it has been over a hundred years. I’m sure your mom and dad would want you to do something meaningful with your life,” Hiro said and he winced, thinking he sounded rather cold and mean. But instead of looking upset or offended, Tadashi looked thoughtful and even mildly surprised.

“I…never thought about that. After I managed to get out of my depressive slump, I spent most of my time learning about vampires and their history and culture. I guess it’s time I put my focus elsewhere. At least,” he added before he smiled down at Hiro and pulled him against his side, “when it comes to my studies, that is.”

“These wings are going to get cold if you two continue making out, you know!” Aunt Cass teased.

“Aunt Cass! We are not making out!” Hiro whined, but even though he was pouting he felt good.

He was glad that he talked to Tadashi about college and his early vampire years. It was nice to know that even vampires were humane, though he should have figured that one out. Three years and he still had some trouble seeing himself as vampire. Hiro didn’t doubt that he was, but he still felt human, he still felt normal. Perhaps he would become more aware of his vampiric nature as he continued to grow. Only time would tell he supposed.

 

~…~

 

“I think it’s a great idea! I’ve been telling you for years that you should go to school, Tadashi,” Aunt Cass said as she drank her coffee. Tadashi continued washing the dishes, scrubbing the plates clean and rinse them until they were bubble free before placing them on the drying rack. Hiro was taking a shower, which is why they were having this conversation now.

“I know, Aunt Cass, I know. But after coming out of my slump after four or so decades I was just so used to being at home. And then Mom got pregnant and Hiro was born,” Tadashi trailed off.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Tadashi, but you’re just making excuses, you know,” Aunt Cass said not unkindly. He sighed and nodded, finishing up the dishes and letting the dirty soapy water drain out.

“You’re right; I am. But I couldn’t leave Hiro when he was so young, and I felt…bad. Leaving you here by yourself. I wanted to help you out,” Tadashi replied. Aunt Cass stood up and approached him, giving him a quick, hard hug before she began putting away the dishes that were already dried completely.

“And I appreciate that, but I have things under control now. And you should live your life. Do what you always tell Hiro to do whenever he would get frustrated with school and apply yourself more,” she said softly. “Who knows? You might even find her.”

Tadashi nodded and delved into his thoughts. The ‘her’ Aunt Cass was referring to was the yellow and black clad individual that had cornered Hiro in the alleyway when he had run away three years ago. She was clever, very, very clever, but Aunt Cass had managed to at least get a gender out of Jun Yamamoto from down the street. Apparently, he had seen the person only once before Aunt Cass’ visit and had heard her speak for a brief few seconds. While Jun was one of the older vampires, close to one thousand two hundred years as a matter of fact, he had a lot of experience and was reliable and he was confident that he had heard a female voice coming from a person clad head to toe in a yellow and black suit with strange, wheel like blades on the boots and bracers. 

But that was all they were able to find out. That was really the main reason Tadashi was thinking of applying to SFIT. He would be able to look for the mysterious female who could have killed Hiro, who had in fact tried to do so, and he could protect Hiro all at once. Tadashi looked forward to learning and being with Hiro in a college setting, but he wanted to ensure his mate and brother was safe from harm. 

“That was my thinking exactly,” Tadashi muttered, more to himself than Aunt Cass. “Good night, Aunt Cass.”

“Good night, Tadashi,” she called as he headed upstairs to the room he shared with Hiro.

His mind was made up and it was reinforced when he saw Hiro snuggle underneath the blankets on their shared bed, waiting for Tadashi to arrive. Seeing his mate looking so undeniably adorable and precious that it made him want to coo, just made his determination to apply that much stronger. If it was for Hiro, he would do it, regardless of the task at hand, regardless of what he’d have to live with later on. Hiro was worth that and so much more to him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Before we get started, I just want to thank you all for the support and for being so patient with me. I hope I continue to do this story justice. As always, please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below, and enjoy!

Books, papers, and his laptop were open on his desk, covering every surface there was. Sunlight poured into the room through the windows, blinds open and a gentle, warm breeze drifting through the screens bringing in just enough sound to break the silence, but not enough to be a distraction. Tadashi was sitting at the desk, trying to cram as much information into his brain as he could.

Two days after Hiro had submitted his essay for SFIT, Tadashi had applied, thankful that the college offered the opportunity for vampires to apply even if they hadn’t been inside of a classroom for decades or centuries. So long as his financial ad went through and he passed the many entrance exams he needed to take in order for the board to ascertain whether or not he was ready for college. In other words, the college wanted to make sure he wasn’t a dimwit wasting their time. Not all vampires were smart, just as not all humans were dumb

He didn’t mind having to study though. Tadashi enjoyed reading and learning and he was finding out new things the more he poured over the resources he had gathered. Aunt Cass had told him to focus on his studies; she could handle the café. Half of him wanted to argue and insist he help her out for a few hours a day, but secretly he was glad to be able to focus solely on this. With Hiro only a few months from graduation, Tadashi had to work fast if he wanted to make the cut for the fall semester. He knew he was pushing his luck, but luck often treated him kindly in situations like these.

Next week, he would be going to SFIT to take his entrance exams, and while it seemed as though he had enough time, he felt the day breathing down his neck like an intimidating predator. So, for the past six days, after Hiro went to school, Tadashi would sit at his desk and stay there until Hiro or Aunt Cass literally dragged him away to eat and bathe. Aunt Cass had told him that he needed to take care of himself if he was going to successfully pass and Hiro told him not to sweat it, that he was already incredibly smart and that SFIT would be foolish to deny him entrance. Still, if there was even a slight chance that Tadashi could fail, he had to take it as a certainty. Yes, it was extreme, but he had to get in. He needed to get it.

This wasn’t about him and opening the door to a better and brighter future. It was about Hiro. It was about protecting Hiro and finding out who had tried to harm him three years ago. And perhaps he’d even figure out who had killed their parents. No one could tell him otherwise that Hiro hadn’t been the real target when their old house had been burned to the ground, and their parents along with it. But even after ten years, he still had no answers as to who was responsible. None of the Council had figured it out. Truthfully, Tadashi hadn’t heard from the two Council members who had questioned him and Aunt Cass, Hayato and Setsuna, at least not personally.

The Council, who reigned over the vampire society and would continue to do so until Hiro was ready to be king, were often mentioned in the news. Acting more like the Supreme Court than anything else, they weighed in on cases involving vampires and did a lot to help humans, whether it was to bring one of their own to justice or assist in proving their innocence. They worked alongside humans to solve all sorts of problems, crimes included. Yet no progress had been made that he knew of. Tadashi didn’t even know if they were still investigating it.

Running a hand through his already messed up hair, he refocused on studying. His eyes scanned over various articles on his laptop, thankful that Hiro helped him out and gave him a decent list on what subjects he would need to study. A list that practically included every subject under the sun apparently. As it was a school that focused more on technology, there was everything ranging from mathematics and science to the history of robotics and so on and so forth. In other words, a lot. 

But the information that Tadashi was reading was interesting. He wasn’t bored reading any of it; in fact, he liked it a lot. It wasn’t unusual for hours to pass him by in the blink of an eye as he delved into various articles about the latest innovations in robotics and other kinds of technology. Of course, there were some articles and inventions that he would read about and see that needed improvements or could be implemented in other areas apart from the ones they were created for. He couldn’t say he was never entertained though. 

Today was proving to be like the past few days as Tadashi allowed himself to be drowned in the books and articles at his disposal. Hours ticked by and before he even realized it, Hiro was home, running through the café and then the apartment up to their shared room. Even though he could hear his mate coming, Tadashi was so wrapped up in what he was doing that it was little more than background noise. Not even their bedroom door swinging open caused him to stir.

“Tadashi, I’m home!” Hiro announced. Tadashi smiled and turned around slightly to greet him.

“Hey, Hiro! How was school?” he asked.

“Boring. None of the teachers are challenging anymore,” Hiro replied as he dropped his bag onto the floor and came up behind Tadashi. Leaning on the back of the chair, Hiro peered at the screen. 

“How’s the studying going?” he asked.

“Just fine,” Tadashi said.

“You haven’t moved from this chair since I left this morning, have you?” Hiro said.

“Nope.” And he hadn’t. Not once. Not even to go to the bathroom.

“It’s not healthy to stay in one place and one position for extended periods of time, you know,” Hiro said, trying to sound like Tadashi. He was trying to goad him, get him to break his concentration.

And it was working.

“I am aware of that. But if I want to pass my exams, I need to study,” Tadashi countered. Hiro huffed.

“You’re not going to fail, and I’m sure that those exams are easy,” he said.

“You wouldn’t know. You were accepted as soon as they received your application,” Tadashi said.

“Well, not everyone can have my intellect,” Hiro teased.

“Huh,” was all Tadashi said. He tried really hard to focus. He was almost done with this article; he could finish it if Hiro would stop being a brat.

“Tadashi….” Hiro whined softly. Tadashi forced himself to read the next sentence. He could do it.

“Tadashiiiiiiiii…”Hiro whined again, this time louder. And it was accompanied by a poke to his cheek. The next sentence was harder to read.

After a few minutes of Hiro whining his name and poking his cheek, his mate fell silent, apparently giving up. It was a shame because Tadashi was about to cave in. One more whine, one more poke and he would have given up finishing the article and would have tackled Hiro to the floor, or the bed. Preferably the bed as it wouldn’t hurt as much. Huffing, Hiro stood up and pouted.

“Fine. I’ll just find someone else who will pay attention to me since you’re tired of me already,” Hiro said. With that, Tadashi launched himself out of his chair and lifted Hiro easily in the air.

Hiro squealed and squirmed until Tadashi deposited him on the bed and then crawled on top of him. With one hand, he held both of Hiro’s wrists and pinned him to the bed. Being younger and smaller than he was, Hiro wasn’t able to throw him off; he didn’t even make Tadashi budge. Grinning in victory, Tadashi leaned down until their faces were inches apart.

“I’ve got you trapped, baby brother. There’s no way to escape now,” Tadashi said.

“That’s what you think,” Hiro retorted and before Tadashi could reply, he leaned up and kissed him.

Initially surprised by the action, Tadashi was quick to respond, returning the kiss with just as much enthusiasm and zeal as Hiro gave him. He released Hiro’s wrists and wrapped his arms around the tiny body beneath him, pulling his mate closer. His lips continued to kiss Hiro and a small satisfied groan escaped him. It had been quite some time since the last time he had actually kissed Hiro like this and that have never really made out before. This was something new, this was a different territory than what he was used to and he liked it. 

He wanted more.

He wanted Hiro. All of him. Every inch, every kiss he had to offer, every caress, every sigh and moan, all of it. A burning desire began to spread throughout his body, lighting it with an invisible fire that only burned inside of his veins. His throat went dry and his kisses went from sweet and mostly innocent to rushed and hard. Suddenly, he felt hungry, starved, ravenous, and only Hiro could sate him.

Breaking away from their kiss and Hiro’s lips, Tadashi pressed kisses to his jaw and continued down to his neck. There, he began licking him and sucking on his flesh. His teeth felt sharp even to him. He could feel Hiro’s blood flow through his veins; he could feel his heart beat and his hunger escalated. Only little prick and he would be satiated. Just thinking of Hiro’s warm, amazing blood filling his mouth made him salivate and he pressed his mouth to Hiro’s neck. All it would take was one little bite…just one little bite…

“Tadashi…?” Hiro asked, his voice hesitant. But Tadashi paid him no mind. Gently, his teeth pressed against soft, unblemished flesh.

“Tadashi!” Hiro cried and the fear in his voice snapped Tadashi out of his lust.

Within seconds, he was sitting up and sliding off of the bed. His chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily, his eyes were wide, and his expression was bewildered and shocked. Too far, he had almost gone too far. He had lost himself in his desire for Hiro’s blood and had Hiro not broken him out of it, he could have hurt him. 

Guilt soon overcame him. Hiro’s voice had been full of fear and it was Tadashi’s fault. Stars, he was the worst. He should have eaten something earlier; if he had, then maybe he wouldn’t have been so vulnerable. 

“Hiro, I…I’m sorry,” Tadashi stammered and he met Hiro’s gaze. His mate was now sitting up, his eyes were wide and he was panting. His neck was red where Tadashi had kissed, licked, and sucked it, but other than that, he appeared to be fine.

“It…it’s okay, Tadashi. What…was that?” Hiro asked him.

“My blood lust. I haven’t eaten all day and being so close to you and sensing your blood…it got to me,” Tadashi explained.

“Don’t vampires need their mate’s blood to survive though?” Hiro asked. 

“Yes,” Tadashi answered. Hiro scooted to the edge of the bed.

“Then why don’t you take mine?” Hiro said. “Not all of it, of course. But whatever you need…”

“Hiro, you’re still young. I don’t want to take too much and I can’t guarantee that I would be able to stop myself,” Tadashi said. “So it’s out of the question right now.”

“Okay, no blood drinking. How about some dinner?” Hiro asked as he slid off of the bed.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Hiro?” Tadashi said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you…”

Hiro crossed the space between them and hugged him. Tadashi immediately wrapped his arms around Hiro and held him. He felt Hiro snuggle against him and they stood like that, just holding each other. Eventually, Tadashi began to feel better and he started to calm down.

“You startled me. I wasn’t expecting that, but I’m fine now. I promise,” Hiro said and then he pulled away. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”

Tadashi followed his mate out of their bedroom and down to the kitchen. If his blood lust was getting worse and harder to control, then he would have to be vigilant and keep tabs on it. He wouldn’t lose control, he couldn’t take the chance of hurting his Hiro in such a manner. That was one thing he refused to allow to happen.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know it’s been over a month since the last update, but better than a year, am I right? (I am so sorry; trying to be a bit positive, but…well…). Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. Feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below, and enjoy!

~…~

 

Summer came and went, far too fast for Tadashi’s liking. Hiro had graduated valedictorian and had given the most inspiring speech Tadashi had heard, as well as the cutest. But he had left that part out when he complimented Hiro after the entire affair was over; Hiro had reminded him time and time again that he wasn’t a kid and no longer ‘cute’. Two and a half months went by fast, in the blink of an eye, and tomorrow, classes at SFIT would begin. 

Tadashi had passed his entrance exams, gone through quite a few meetings about financial aid, the core classes he needed to take, and what field of study he wanted to go into, among other things. Robotics was his major, just like Hiro’s, partly because that was the field that appealed most to him, but mostly because he would be taking the same classes as Hiro. And when they received their schedules, Tadashi was pleased, and not at all surprised, that he had been right. A great wave of relief still washed over him regardless and Tadashi was able to sleep soundly for the first time since he had gotten his acceptance letter.

Though their summer had been spent helping Aunt Cass out at the café, getting Tadashi prepped for college, and having all sorts of adventures ranging from going swimming to hiking to attending a robotics convention and so much more, Tadashi was ready for college. He wouldn’t lie and say that he wasn’t excited to be in school and learn so much more than what books and the internet could teach him. Having always liked school and learning, Tadashi was looking forward to his classes. More than that, however, he looked forward to spending that time with Hiro, being with his mate in classes and pushing each other to their intellectual max. Just that was almost enough to make Tadashi relax completely, but he couldn’t allow his guard to drop completely.

Attending SFIT would also help him find the girl responsible for hurting Hiro almost four years ago, or at least, that was what he hoped. From what Aunt Cass had told him about what Jun had said about the mysterious woman, Tadashi thought it was entirely possible that she was attending SFIT. He had little to go on, but he was confident that she lived in the city and that she was smart enough to create a suit that used electromagnetic wheel to move around or to use as weapons. No average person could concoct such a suit, so it made sense that the girl had to have some education higher than high school. No high school he knew taught stuff like that, not so in depth. Even if they did, how would they procure the funds to actually create a physical copy of the suit? If there was one thing Tadashi did know it was that that suit wasn’t cheap and the materials weren’t available in an average fabric store.

“Tadashi!” Hiro’s voice came and he launched himself at the older vampire. Effortlessly, Tadashi caught him and, laughing, he rolled them onto their sides on the bed.

“How is it that you’re never surprised?” Hiro grumbled against Tadashi’s shirt. Tadashi smiled and he nuzzled his nose through Hiro’s untamed hair.

“I can be surprised, but I’ve made it my life’s mission to spoil your fun,” Tadashi teased him before pressing a kiss to his hair.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. You’re a goody-goody like Superman, only you’re cooler than he is,” Hiro said. Tadashi laughed.

“Well, I’m glad you think so.”

He pulled back and stared into those big brown eyes that always managed to captive him so. Hiro would be turning fourteen later this year and though he had been growing little by little with each passing year, he was still so much smaller than Tadashi, so much shorter. It amazed him even still that Hiro, his Hiro, his brother, his mate, was the Vampire King, the one who would change everything for vampires, who would bridge the gap between vampires and humans when the time was right. Such a responsibility would have turned any kid into a mess, yet Hiro had taken in one in stride, as well as he could. There were still times when Tadashi would look at Hiro and see his face twisted in apprehension and fear, but those moments had been few and far between.

“So, excited for the first day of classes, Little College Man?” Tadashi asked, his smile soft and warm. Hiro’s pout, the one that had been one his face since he started grumbling his responses into Tadashi’s shirt, increased, making him look too cute for words.

“Kind of. I just hope that the classes won’t be boring,” Hiro replied with a shrug. Tadashi chuckled.

“That was your issue in high school: you got bored quickly.”

“You know a class is boring when a thirteen year old vampire is teaching the class because the teacher’s information is outdated,” Hiro said. His eyes lit up and he squirmed excitedly. “I am excited to take Professor Callaghan’s classes, though. He is, like, THE name in robotics right now. His work has changed a lot of things and I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“So am I. He seems to be a pretty cool guy. I’ve heard he’s an awesome teacher and that he pushes his students to the brink,” Tadashi said.

“Cool. I look forward to it,” Hiro said. He pressed his smaller body closer to Tadashi’s, cuddling him as he continued, “So, are you excited for the first day of classes? It’s been a long time since you’ve been in school. Aren’t you nervous?”

“A bit, yes. Scared that I might be behind despite all of my studying. But mostly, I’m excited. I’ve always loved to learn and now that I’m going, I’m happy that I finally caved on Aunt Cass’ demands to apply,” Tadashi answered. He hugged Hiro, soaking up his body heat. “Plus, I get to spend my days with you, so it’s a win-win regardless.”

“Tadashi?” Hiro said softly, hesitance in his voice. 

“Hm?” Tadashi hummed in response, eyes closed as he just enjoyed this moment with Hiro. His large hands rubbed up and down Hiro’s back soothingly. 

“Are you… Is part of the reason why you’re going to college is to…protect me?” Hiro asked him, his words so soft that they were practically a whisper. Tadashi’s eyes opened just a bit and he sighed softly.

“I’m not going to lie to you, not ever, so yes, part of the reason why is to protect you,” Tadashi told him. “Aunt Cass and I have been trying to find out who that woman was who attacked you years ago, and we both agreed that it would be a good idea if I attended school with you.”

“Why now? Why didn’t you do it when I was in high school?” Hiro asked, his fingers fisting in his shirt. 

“Up until you were ten, no one had tried to attack you since we moved to this city. Neither Aunt Cass and I had been expecting that to happen, and at first, we were at a loss as to what to do. The trail went cold quick. A vampire’s sense of smell is strong, but in a city with millions of people and various other scents, it’s easy to lose the trail,” Tadashi explained. “The suit that woman wore was unique and easy to pick out, but with as fast as she was going, there wasn’t a large percentage that someone might see her. Even if someone did, what were the odds that they’d remember after days, weeks, months, years? Or admit to seeing her altogether.”

Tadashi paused and buried his nose in Hiro’s hair. Holding him close like this made him feel more secure and certain about everything. He continued talking.

“Part of the reason why I waited so long was because I wanted to find the trail again, even if it was so small and seemingly unimportant. Another part was that I felt I wasn’t ready to return to school. Yes, I help Aunt Cass out at the café, but that’s different from college, from the rest of the world,” Tadashi told him. “I guess that doesn’t really make sense or answer your question.” He added an almost humorless laugh.

“So…you were looking to find whoever tried to kill me and you were…overcoming your own insecurities?” Hiro asked. 

“I suppose that pretty much sums it up,” he said, a small smile gracing his lips. It fell as he moved just a bit. “I…may have left something out when I told you about why I never went back to school after becoming a vampire.”

“What is it?” Hiro said. Then, after a moment, added, “If you’re not comfortable talking about it, you don’t have to, Tadashi.”

“No, no, I think…I think this is something you ought to know. Just in case,” Tadashi said and he inhaled deeply. Though the words were already out there and there was no taking them back, he still wished he could. He still wished he hadn’t said that he hadn’t been entirely honest about his past. But, there was no going back now and Hiro needed to know.

“Remember how I told you that I don’t remember a lot after first being turned into a vampire? That my memories only start focusing after a few months? And that I pretty much spent decades in a depressive slump?” Tadashi asked him. Hiro nodded.

“During that time, I had...” Tadashi paused, unsure of how to continue. It wasn’t easy to admit. Was there a way for him to explain without going into detail? Of course there was; he just needed to sum up the courage to do it.

“Changing into a vampire isn’t always an easy process. Not everyone makes it out alive, and some have an easier time turning than others. I…wasn’t one of those who had an easy time,” Tadashi said. He took a deep breath to calm his shaking hands. “Some people who are turned…go insane. For most people, it doesn’t last long; a few weeks, maybe a few months. For others, it’s permanent. Regardless of how long it lasts, it always changes them.

“I’m no exception. During my first months as a vampire, I was…not myself. Those months I don’t remember or that are fuzzy weren’t because of the accident I hate beforehand. When you…are hysterical and…so darn out of it, there’s not much you remember,” Tadashi told him. “I’m glad I don’t remember much of it. From what I’ve been told, I wasn’t nice or pretty.”

The only sounds in their bedroom were the beating of their hearts. For Tadashi, listening to Hiro’s heartbeat calmed him down and made him feel like any darkness in the world wouldn’t be able to reach him. With his mate warm and real in his arms, he felt whole and safe. It was funny: he was the elder vampire and the big brother, and yet Hiro was the one making him feel safe and secure right then. Part of him felt as though he ought to be ashamed for being so weak, but for the most part, he didn’t care. He just drank up the warmth Hiro radiated. 

“But…you eventually overcame it. You’re here talking to me and you sound like a normal guy,” Hiro said. Tadashi’s embrace tightened around his body.

“Yes, but there are times when I’m…not myself. Something else kind of takes over and becomes dominant. It’s like my mind and my instincts are two separate entities and while my mind if mostly in charge, my instincts will sometimes rear their heads, forcibly,” Tadashi explained.

“Like when you’re bloodlust kind of took over that one time?” Hiro said.

“Kind of like that, yeah,” Tadashi said. “It doesn’t happen often, but it is something that happens. And you need to know.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Hiro said. He shifted in Tadashi’s arms and peered up at him, his large eyes so expressive, so full of love and warmth and kindness. It made Tadashi’s heart swell.

“I think I get now why it took you so long to…rejoin society,” Hiro said, giving him a slight smile and laughing a little bit. “I’m happy that you’ll be with me, Tadashi. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have for a…mate.” He blushed at the term. Even after almost four years had passed, it was still strange for Hiro to think of himself as a vampire. But he was getting used to it. Tadashi knew that. And his efforts were adorable.

“Thank you, Hiro. That means a lot, especially coming from you,” Tadashi said and he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to Hiro’s lips. His heart skipped a beat when their lips connected and he instantly desired more. But not today.

“So, ready for classes tomorrow?” Hiro asked him when their kiss ended.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Tadashi laughed. 

They continued chatting well into the night until it was time for bed. Tomorrow would be a brand new day and the start of something new for both of them. Whatever the college life held, Tadashi knew it would only get him closer to finding the girl who was out for Hiro’s head. He wouldn’t sleep until that task was complete; he wouldn’t sleep until Hiro was safe.


End file.
